A British female comedian has been arrested in Turkey and now faces up to three years behind bars after she accidentally walked out of a Zara store without paying despite going back to apologise when she realised her mistake.

Cerys Nelmes, a stand-up comic from Bristol, said the incident on Sunday, 22nd July, was a mistake, claiming she absentmindedly left the store with clothes before realising she had not gone through the till.

Cerys Nelmes poses in undated photo. She was reportedly detained for shoplifting in Istanbul, Turkey. Note: Private photo taken from social media. (@cerysnelmes/Newsflash/NX)

After returning to the store to hand back the items and offering to pay, Nelmes says she was instead detained, locked in a room for hours without explanation, and eventually arrested for shoplifting.

She said she was taken to a police station, pressured to sign documents in a language she could nott read, and held in a cell for 24 hours with no food, no toilet and no water.

She said: "I was told they didn't understand me."

Picture shows Cerys Nelmes Instagram story, undated. She was reportedly detained for shoplifting in Istanbul, Turkey. Note: Image is a screenshot of an Instagram story. (@cerysnelmes/Newsflash/NX)

The next day, she was brought before a judge who released her but banned her from leaving the country. She now faces a potential three-year sentence as the case proceeds.

Nelmes says she is stranded in Turkey, unable to afford accommodation and missing out on work back home, putting her and her son at risk of losing their UK home.

She said: "I'm ok and have been taken in by a Turkish family who gave me food and a bed.

The British Embassy confirmed they are offering support.

(Simona Kitanovska / newsX)