A 60 year old Newent businessman has been cleared of five fraud charges after the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the case against him.

Simon Comben of Knights Crescent, Newent, had pleaded not guilty to charges dated between August 2017 and May 2018 and had been committed to Gloucester Crown Court for the case to be heard.

However, when the case was listed on February 26 this year, before Recorder Richard Shepherd the Prosecution offered no evidence and the case was dismissed with Not Guilty verdicts being entered on all counts.