UK police drop speeding charge against Duff

International footballer Damien Duff has escaped a second motoring charge after another letter to police in England went missing, it emerged today.

The CPS dropped the case against Newcastle’s Republic of Ireland winger after he proved he had posted documents to Northumbria Police in England.

It is the second time the former Chelsea and Blackburn footballer has avoided prosecution because of missing information.

He was due to appear before Hexham Magistrates’ Court on a charge of failing to supply information to the chief officer of police.

But the hearing was dropped when the 28-year-old’s solicitors were able to provide proof of postage, which they said showed he had sent the documents off.

The force denied receiving the correspondence, but because the item was not sent by recorded delivery, it was impossible to tell whether it had been mislaid or was lost in the system.

The case was brought after Duff’s Mini Cooper was clocked allegedly doing 86mph in a 50mph section of the A1 in Northumberland.

In October he escaped prosecution in the same court when his Range Rover was allegedly caught on camera doing 102mph on the A1.

He was asked to inform police who was driving, and subsequently charged with failing to provide information, but the case was dropped when he could prove postage.

After the latest charge was dropped, Chief Superintendent Neil Adamson, of Northumbria Police’s criminal justice department, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service took this decision based on the explanation provided by Mr Duff.

“We will review the circumstances which led them to reach this decision.”