THE case against Devizes car dealer Jerry Swain, who had been charged with fraud, has been dropped, even though he still owes £3,400.

Mr Swain, 66, of Maryport Street, Devizes, was ordered to appear before magistrates in Salisbury last Friday to give evidence that he had made arrangements to pay the money to Mark Sayer. He faced a charge of fraud in that, between January 2012 and May 2013, he wrote two cheques for £5,000 each to Mr Sayer, knowing they would not be honoured by the bank.

Mr Swain was not asked to enter a plea to the charge and, on Friday, crown prosecutor Nick Barr asked magistrates to discontinue the case against him. He told the bench: “The injured party does not want to have any further contact with Mr Swain. This is more a civil debt than a criminal matter.”

Mr Swain trades as Devizes Car Centre and Jerry Swain Classic Car Sales.