Ronnie Ramsay, 39, was carrying 100 milligrams of the illegal drug in his hand when he was searched by police on February 12 in a supermarket car park near the popular resort town of Kuta, said Maj Gusti Putu Suryasa.

Mr Ramsay is still being questioned, but "told the police the heroin was for personal use," the police spokesman said.

"He was walking suspiciously and the police stopped him and searched him," Maj Suryasa said. "He had the illegal drug in his hand."

Under Indonesia’s tough drug laws Mr Ramsay could face a maximum 10-year jail sentence.

More than half of Indonesia’s prison population of 116,000 are drug offenders.

Traffickers are routinely sentenced to death. At the end of 2006, 134 people were on death row, including 37 foreigners and 97 Indonesians, most of them for drug-related crimes.

Michelin-starred chef and Hell’s Kitchen star Gordon has repeatedly tried to help his addicted brother by paying for rehabilitation programmes, and spoke about his brother’s problems in his autobiography Humble Pie.

Gordon’s brother held in Bali - Feb 22 2007
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is trying to free his brother from jail in Bali after he was caught with heroin by police.

Addict Ronnie Ramsay, 39, could face a jail term of up to 10 years after being charged with possessing a small amount of the Class A drug.

Gordon’s spokeswoman said: "Unfortunately it is correct. He has been arrested. There is nothing we would like to add. It is correct representatives are flying out."

Ronnie, who is living in Indonesia, was charged on Friday and has been offered consular assistance, the Foreign Office said.

The Michelin-starred chef and Hell’s Kitchen star has repeatedly tried to help his addicted brother by paying for rehabilitation programmes, and spoke about his brother’s problems in his autobiography Humble Pie.

This week he revealed Ronnie’s long-running drugs battle has also been distressing for their elderly mother, Helen.

Speaking to Waitrose Food Illustrated before Ronnie’s arrest, he said: "I feel the pain, I feel it big time. I don’t think that my mum at 60 should still be putting up with it.

"It is hard dealing with Ronnie. He is a major responsibility. It is like having an 18-year-old to look after."

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "All I can confirm is that someone by the name of Ronnie Ramsay has been arrested and was charged on Friday in Bali.

Ramsay gets a roasting - Jan 8 2007
Gordon Ramsay’s first New York restaurant has taken a battering from food critics.

The celebrity chef’s American debut drew criticism from several writers in the city, who complained of "overcooked" sea scallops and branded lobster ravioli "leathery".

A mushroom risotto was called a "distinct disappointment" and one reviewer hit out at the "pitiful" lighting at Gordon Ramsay at The London.

New York Magazine’s Gael Green was the toughest critic, writing just days after the £3 million venture’s opening late last year.

"The chef’s signature feint, a luscious smoky froth with white beans, has us sighing, but most everything else is a work-in-progress," he sniped.

"Sea scallops, slivered, then overcooked, suggest someone hasn’t a clue what great chefs here do with diver scallops.

"We are shocked by a leathery lobster ravioli and an unseemly marriage of langoustine tails and maple-infused chicken (not to mention the bill)."