Three men who were to face trial accused of false imprisonment have had the charges against them dropped.

Richard Clarke, 62, Christopher Wilson, 24, and Christopher Williams, 21, were due to appear before a jury later this month.

But after the complainant changed his story the Crown said they no longer felt it was right to continue with the case.

Hannah Squire, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court: "It is the Crown's decision to formally offer no evidence and ask for guilty verdicts on all matters.

"The complainant had made a statement subsequent to his original video interview in that he didn't want the matters to proceed against one of the three.

"He said that person played a lesser role. That calls into question all he said in his video interview."

All three - Williams, of Harts Close, Goatacre; Clarke, of Cunningham Road, Rodbourne Cheney; and Wilson, of Castleton Road, Middleleaze - had pleaded not guilty to 'unlawfully and injuriously imprisoning' a man on Saturday, June 9, last year.

Recorder Tim Mousley QC entered a formal not guilty verdict on all three and released them from the dock.

However, the court was told Wilson faced sentence for a separate matter of a charge of perverting the course of justice.

He admitted lying to the police in February last year saying his car had been stolen in a bid to avoid criminal liability for its use.