PROSECUTORS have dropped an assault charge brought against an England under-21 footballer contracted to a North-East club.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it had decided to discontinue proceedings against on-loan Nottingham Forest defender Jamaal Lascelles after analysis of CCTV evidence.
Lascelles, who is on a season-long loan from Newcastle United, appeared before a Crown Court judge in December charged with causing actual bodily harm at a bar in Derby.
The 21-year-old, who lives in Derby, and all other parties concerned in the incident have been advised of the decision to halt the proceedings.
A spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service said: "The CPS is discontinuing the prosecution of Jamaal Lascelles, who had been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm on April 23, 2014.
"Following an in-depth review and careful analysis of the evidence we have taken the decision to discontinue the case.
"Once we had received and viewed CCTV evidence first-hand, it became apparent that this did not show that the defendant had been responsible for the injuries sustained by the victim.
"It was therefore deemed that there was no longer a realistic prospect of a conviction, and so the case was stopped."
In a posting on his official Twitter page, Lascelles said: "After being wrongly accused and charged with assault, I can now happily say all charges have been dropped and my name has been cleared."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here