Police have discontinued proceedings against a 62-year-old man who had been accused of leaking the addresses of properties housing asylum seekers before they were targeted during disorder in Thetford.
James Jobson, 62, from Costessey, had been charged with misconduct in public office over allegations that information obtained through his employment with Serco was shared and subsequently appeared on Facebook.
However, Norfolk Police has now confirmed that the case has been halted after new evidence emerged which undermined the allegations against him.
New evidence emerged after charge
Mr Jobson appeared at Ipswich Magistrates’ Court on Monday and had been due to appear at Norwich Crown Court in September.
Norfolk Police said detectives continued making enquiries following the charge and subsequently obtained further evidence.
The force said the new material meant the legal test required to continue with a prosecution was no longer met.
The Crown Prosecution Service was informed and proceedings against Mr Jobson were discontinued.
Mr Jobson had previously provided a no-comment interview while being questioned under caution.
Charge related to information allegedly shared online
The original allegation centred on claims that Mr Jobson had used information available to him through his employment with Serco and disclosed details concerning accommodation being used to house asylum seekers.
Police had alleged that the information subsequently appeared on Facebook.
With the proceedings now discontinued, Mr Jobson no longer faces the misconduct in public office charge.
Disorder in Thetford
The investigation came amid serious disorder in Thetford earlier this month, during which properties housing asylum seekers were targeted.
Police reported three nights of anti-immigration unrest in the Norfolk market town.
Officers deployed to the disorder were subjected to what Norfolk Police described as “significant aggression”, with officers reportedly struck by a rock, bitten and spat at.
The force said last week that 21 arrests had been made in connection with the wider disorder.
Those investigations are separate from the now-discontinued proceedings against Mr Jobson.
The decision to discontinue his case followed further post-charge enquiries and new evidence which police said meant the legal threshold for continuing the prosecution was no longer met.