A WEST Mercia policeman who was suspended from duty after allegedly assaulting his wife has had the case against him dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Mark Willis, 49, of Cobblers Place, Little Witley, was suspended after he pleaded not guilty to common assaults on Victoria Willis at Bewdley on Monday, November 24, Sunday, November 30 and Sunday, December 7 last year.

At Gloucester magistrates court on Tuesday, CPS lawyer Peter Ashby told justices he would be offering no evidence against Willis.

The defendant was found not guilty of all three counts of assault. At a hearing in February, Martin Hunt, prosecuting, told the court Mrs Willis had made a retraction statement.

"This is a domestic matter," he said.

"I need a full file for the case to proceed as a contested matter and I ask for four weeks for that to be prepared. There is also a retraction statement from the injured party which needs to be investigated with the domestic violence unit at West Mercia, where the case has been transferred from."

While facing criminal charges Willis was barred by the courts from going to his matrimonial home at Timberdyne House, Rock Cross, Rock.