A wanted man who has been on the run from the law for nine years had a case against him dropped in court yesterday.

Kieron Fleming, 43, from Hartlepool, failed to appear at Teesside Crown Court in April 1994 on two charges of obtaining £14,000 by benefit fraud. He was alleged to have obtained it by deception from the Department of Social Security between April 1992 and December 1993.

The judge in the case, Judge Angus Stroyan, QC, has since retired and his defence barrister is now Judge Peter Armstrong.

Mr Fleming's last known address was Burbank Street in Hartlepool.

Patricia Mancina, prosecuting, said yesterday: "The case needs writing off.

"Even now it is quite a lot of money and in 1993 it was a great deal of money."

Judge Tony Briggs, sitting at Teesside Crown Court, ordered the case to be left on the court file and not to be proceeded with, without the leave of the Court of Appeal.

But a Bench warrant for Mr Fleming's arrest was left to be executed.