By . Sam Webb . Enemy of the state: Chippenham Mayor John Scragg, who was arrested in Russia for taking pictures of the public transport system . An elderly mayor from a quiet market town in Wiltshire was arrested on a trip to Russia because they suspected he was a terrorist - after he took pictures of trams and trolley buses. John Scraggs, the 69-year-old first citizen of Chippenham, was led to the cells and interrogated after they found photos of him standing next to the vehicles. Despite his protests, Mr Scraggs and another man from a 20-strong party of tourists were held for five hours and faced tough questioning from interrogators. The white-faced pair feared they’d be deported from Russia or even worse, sent to do hard labour in Siberia. But the authorities finally accepted they were innocent trippers on an organised visit to Samara in south-east Russia and let them go. The public transport enthusiast couldn’t wait to make the trip to Russia with fellow enthusiasts to see the buses and trains. 'They couldn’t work out why all our photos were of trams and trolley buses rather than the usual cathedrals,' said the mayor today. 'They must have thought we were terrorists and we’d taken photos of each other standing next to likely targets like the transport system. 'I feared we were going to get thrown out of Russia, or worse. 'It was quite grim - they questioned us separately but finally believed our story and let us go at 11.30 at night.' He added: 'Being the mayor is great - you get to meet all sorts of people!' Suspicious? The mayor next to a tram in the south-eastern city of Samara in Russia . Hobby: Mr Scraggs is a huge public transport enthusiast and a keen photographer . The mayor and another man in the tour group were held for five hours by the Russian authorities . Mr Scraggs is currently serving his third term as mayor. He was also voted in as first citizen in 1992 and 2005 and serves as a Liberal Democrat member of the town council. Had the Russian authorities taken the time to check his online profile, they’d have seen he doesn’t really offer much in the way of a hardened terrorist. High-profile suspect: Mr Scraggs is currently serving his third term as mayor . 'They couldn¿t work out why all our photos were of trams and trolley buses rather than the usual cathedrals,' said the mayor . Eventually the authorities accepted they were innocent holidaymakers on an organised visit . After leaving school in Sidcup, Kent, he studied at the London School of Economics and had a career as a senior internal auditor and project finance officer. He lists his hobbies as ‘overseas tramways, London and provincial buses, military history (air and land warfare) from 1939’. On his council website profile he says: 'My interests include photography and transport. I represent the council on the local Wiltshire County Council parish transport group so am particularly keen to ensure that our bus and train services, including Chippenham’s bus and railway stations, serve the requirements of local people.' As well as buses and military vehicles, Mr Scraggs is fascinated by overseas tramways .
John Scraggs, mayor of Chippenham, was collared by Russian authorities .
He was taking pictures of trams and trolley buses in the city of Samara .
But agents suspected he was a terrorist looking for targets .
The 69-year-old was interrogated for five hours before he was released .
By . Sam Webb . Enemy of the state: Chippenham Mayor John Scragg, who was arrested in Russia for taking pictures of the public transport system . An elderly mayor from a quiet market town in Wiltshire was arrested on a trip to Russia because they suspected he was a terrorist - after he took pictures of trams and trolley buses. John Scraggs, the 69-year-old first citizen of Chippenham, was led to the cells and interrogated after they found photos of him standing next to the vehicles. Despite his protests, Mr Scraggs and another man from a 20-strong party of tourists were held for five hours and faced tough questioning from interrogators. The white-faced pair feared they’d be deported from Russia or even worse, sent to do hard labour in Siberia. But the authorities finally accepted they were innocent trippers on an organised visit to Samara in south-east Russia and let them go. The public transport enthusiast couldn’t wait to make the trip to Russia with fellow enthusiasts to see the buses and trains. 'They couldn’t work out why all our photos were of trams and trolley buses rather than the usual cathedrals,' said the mayor today. 'They must have thought we were terrorists and we’d taken photos of each other standing next to likely targets like the transport system. 'I feared we were going to get thrown out of Russia, or worse. 'It was quite grim - they questioned us separately but finally believed our story and let us go at 11.30 at night.' He added: 'Being the mayor is great - you get to meet all sorts of people!' Suspicious? The mayor next to a tram in the south-eastern city of Samara in Russia . Hobby: Mr Scraggs is a huge public transport enthusiast and a keen photographer . The mayor and another man in the tour group were held for five hours by the Russian authorities . Mr Scraggs is currently serving his third term as mayor. He was also voted in as first citizen in 1992 and 2005 and serves as a Liberal Democrat member of the town council. Had the Russian authorities taken the time to check his online profile, they’d have seen he doesn’t really offer much in the way of a hardened terrorist. High-profile suspect: Mr Scraggs is currently serving his third term as mayor . 'They couldn¿t work out why all our photos were of trams and trolley buses rather than the usual cathedrals,' said the mayor . Eventually the authorities accepted they were innocent holidaymakers on an organised visit . After leaving school in Sidcup, Kent, he studied at the London School of Economics and had a career as a senior internal auditor and project finance officer. He lists his hobbies as ‘overseas tramways, London and provincial buses, military history (air and land warfare) from 1939’. On his council website profile he says: 'My interests include photography and transport. I represent the council on the local Wiltshire County Council parish transport group so am particularly keen to ensure that our bus and train services, including Chippenham’s bus and railway stations, serve the requirements of local people.' As well as buses and military vehicles, Mr Scraggs is fascinated by overseas tramways .
because they suspected he was a terrorist - after he took pictures of trams and trolley buses. John Chippenham, was led to the cells and interrogated the south-eastern city of Samara in Russia . five hours by the Russian authorities . Mr