Domenico Rancadore: Mafia boss will not face appeal

Domenico Rancadore and his wife had their faces covered as they left Westminster Magistrates' Court

Convicted Mafia boss Domenico Rancadore will not face an appeal against a judge's ruling allowing him to stay in Britain, a court has heard.

Mr Rancadore, 65, known as The Professor, won his extradition battle after a judge ruled prison conditions in Italy would breach his human rights.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) failed to lodge an appeal against the ruling within the time limit.

Mr Rancadore was granted unconditional bail at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

'Free to go'

At the hearing District Judge Quentin Purdy said: "You're free to go as far as this court is concerned."

A consent order for the appeal to be withdrawn is waiting to be heard at the High Court, the hearing heard.

Mr Rancadore was arrested in August after evading Italian authorities for 20 years.

Speaking after the hearing, Mr Rancadore's wife Anne said she was "relieved to have her husband home" and that they were "normal people".

"My husband really hasn't done anything wrong. He's not what he's been portrayed as," she said.

After last week's ruling Mr Rancadore was told to report to Uxbridge police station every day

"I want to be able to go into Sainsbury's and not be pointed at."

Mr Rancadore moved to London from his native Sicily in 1994 with his wife and two children.

He was found guilty of Mafia association and extortion in Italy in 1999 and given a seven-year jail term.

Mr Rancadore adopted the alias Marc Skinner, using the maiden name of his British-born wife's mother.

The BBC's legal correspondent Clive Coleman said that following the ruling the CPS had seven days to lodge an appeal at the High Court and serve papers to Mr Rancadore's lawyers, but it failed to serve the papers on time.

He added the Italian authorities must now either accept that Mr Rancadore will not be extradited or begin fresh extradition proceedings.