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Child abuse charges against a former leader of Hampshire County Council have been dropped.

All legal proceedings against Freddie Emery-Wallis have ended after the Crown Prosecution Service decided there was not enough evidence to prosecute.

Mr Emery-Wallis, 80, had been questioned in relation to accusations he had indecently assaulted a girl.

In March he handed himself into Fareham police station in relation to an allegation of an assault thought to be from some decades ago.

Throughout his long career, Mr Emery-Wallis held a number of high profile roles in the county, including deputy lord lieutenant of Hampshire and Lord Mayor of Portsmouth.

He was also awarded a CBE in 1999 for his 40 years of service to local politics.

However in 2001 he was stripped of it after being jailed for nine months for the indecent assault of two young Portsmouth boys in the 1960s and 70s.

Crown Prosecution Service district chief prosecutor Tim Cole said: "The police referred a file to Crown prosecutors at the end of their investigation. It was reviewed in accordance with the code of Crown prosecutors."After careful consideration we concluded there was insufficient evidence to have a realistic prospect of prosecution."

12:08pm Thursday 8th May 2008

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