A MAN who has denied breaking into a Moreton in Marsh clothes shop and stealing £17,000 worth of goods was cleared today after the judge threw out the case against him.

Christopher Thomas, 41, of London Road, Gloucester, was alleged to have broken into Henry's Clothing store with others on March 2 last year.

But he denied the charge and the prosecution case against him was based entirely on a mobile phone signal, allegedly his, which was tracked to Moreton at the time of the raid.

At earlier hearings the prosecution was given further time to produce the evidence linking Thomas with the phone and proving it was in Moreton but today still did not have it ready with only just over two weeks to go till trial.

Defence solicitor Emily Evans applied for the case to be stopped for lack of evidence and Judge Michael Harington agreed.

He formally declared Thomas not guilty of the charge and said he can now be released from prison where he has been in custody on remand.

At an earlier hearing Ms Evans had pointed out that there was an issue that the cell site analysis obtained by the police did not relate to the iPhone that was seized from Thomas.

She challenged the prosecution to prove a link between the defendant and the phone that was traced. She also disputed the accuracy of the cell site analysis.

Judge Harington said the evidence that it was Thomas' phone and that he was using it when it was allegedly in Moreton was still not forthcoming from the prosecution and the case could go no further.