Bruce Springsteen fined $500 over drinking charge

Springsteen was arrested and charged in New Jersey in November

Bruce Springsteen has been fined $500 (£355) after pleading guilty to consuming alcohol in a New Jersey national park where drinking is banned.

The 71-year-old rock star admitted drinking two shots of tequila on Sandy Hook beach in his home state.

But prosecutors dropped drink-driving and reckless driving charges against the star, who had initially pleaded not guilty to all three charges.

The singer was arrested in November and must also pay $40 (£28) in costs.

At an online hearing on Wednesday, he admitted drinking at the beach, which is just south of New York City and is part of the National Park Service's Gateway National Recreation Area.

A court artist's depiction of the singer at the online hearing

Prosecutors said the government was dropping the driving while intoxicated and reckless driving charges because it did not believe it could meet its burden of proving them in court.

News of the singer's arrest on 14 November came to light earlier this month. It followed his appearance in an advert for car company Jeep that was played during the Super Bowl on 7 February.

Jeep said it would not show the commercial until the facts surrounding Springsteen's arrest had been established.

Springsteen, aka "The Boss", has made music for more than five decades and recently released his 20th studio album.

In January, he was seen performing in Washington DC in Celebrating America, a TV special aired after President Joe Biden's inauguration.