Charges dropped against teen accused of rioting

Windows at the Holiday Inn Express hotel were smashed and a series of fires were started using petrol bombs

Charges against a teenager accused of rioting earlier this year have been dropped.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named due to his age, was charged following the public disorder in Tamworth on 4 August.

He was accused of one count of violent disorder and one count of assault by beating an emergency worker.

Rioting broke out across the country in August in the wake of the fatal stabbing of three children in Southport.

A police officer was left with a suspected broken arm in the incident outside the Holiday Inn Express in Tamworth.

Staffordshire Police described the attacks as "senseless violence", adding that "despicable thuggery" was "completely inexcusable".