Assault charge dropped against Rivals actor

Nigel Adams had been accused of assaulting his fiancee Louise Payne (L)

Charges have been dropped against an actor who was arrested while filming on the set of Rivals.

Nigel Adams, 45, had denied assault occasioning actual bodily harm against his long-term fiancee Louise Payne in an incident in March.

The supporting actor, from Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, was arrested on 4 June at Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire, where he was filming a scene for the Disney+ show.

Ms Payne attended a hearing at Bristol Crown Court on Monday, where prosecutor Christine Hart told the judge she "didn't wish to proceed with the case".

Mr Adams was arrested at Berkeley Castle while acting as an extra

Judge William Hart formally entered a not guilty verdict in the case, telling Mr Adams: "You are free to leave, thank you."

Rivals, starring David Tennant, Danny Dyer and Emily Atack, is based on the novel of the same name by Dame Jilly Cooper.

Speaking outside court, Mr Adams said: "They turned up on set and nicked me like I was a wanted man on the run.

"Now I can get back with my agent and get back on Rivals, hopefully.

"I'm grateful everything has been sorted. We just want to get on with our lives."

Ms Payne said: "I didn't want to press charges from the beginning.

"I had to come to court to say I didn't want to go ahead with it."