American-born pop singer PJ Proby has been cleared of benefit fraud after the prosecution dropped its case following the discovery of new evidence.

Proby, 73, Twyford, near Evesham, was acquitted of nine counts relating to claims for various benefits after prosecutors found documents relating to the case in an office in Doncaster.

The singer-songwriter smiled in the dock at Worcester Crown Court as he was found not guilty on the directions of Judge John Cavell nine days into a scheduled three-week trial.

Prosecutor Nicholas Smith told the court the Department of Work and Pensions had decided to offer no evidence against the 1960s star after reviewing the newly-discovered material.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) had alleged that Proby, who denied all the charges, cheated the benefits system out of more than £47,000 after informing the authorities he had just £5 in his bank account.

During Proby's trial, Mr Smith claimed the singer failed to declare earnings from concert tours, savings and royalties while receiving income support, pension credit, council tax benefit and housing benefit.

Proby, who had yet to give evidence in his defence, was alleged to have committed the offences between November 2002 and March 2008.

Before formally clearing Proby, jurors heard that prosecuting lawyers had decided to offer no evidence after reviewing material which arrived from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, last night.

Mr Smith told the court: "Had the prosecution department (of the DWP) been aware of it, we may well have taken a different view in the trial of the matter.

"It's the Crown's decision that we intend to offer no evidence on each of the counts."

Having taken the new material into consideration, the prosecution was now of the view that there was no realistic prospect of Proby being convicted, Mr Smith added.

Proby stood trial under his real name, James Marcus Smith.