The mother of street dance performer George Sampson, who won a TV talent show, has been cleared of fly-tipping.

Lesley Sampson, 40, of Warrington, was accused of ditching rubbish outside her Lyster Avenue home, which included 16-year-old George's fan mail.

But the prosecuting authority Warrington Borough Council offered no evidence after two days of legal wrangling at Chester Crown Court.

George won ITV's Britain's Got Talent in 2008.

The hearing was the culmination in a series of "lamentable failures" by both the prosecution and defence sides who regularly failed to fulfil legal deadlines, said Judge Ian Trigger.

Bags were discovered behind the mother-of-five's home in Birchwood, the court heard.

Ms Sampson said she had no idea how the bags were dumped there or who did it because she had moved to London as her son's career took off.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.