THE trial of National Gipsy Council president Hughie Smith and his nephew Charlie Smith - charged after police were called to a travellers' site they run in Knaresborough - came to a dramatic halt yesterday with a question mark hanging over North Yorkshire Police's handling of the case.

At Harrogate Magistrates' Court Hughie Smith, 73, had denied an allegation of using threatening behaviour causing site resident Peter Varey to fear violence would be used against him. Charlie Smith, 37, had pleaded not guilty to assault on Mr Varey's son James, 26.

The prosecution had alleged that Charlie Smith had headbutted James Varey, and had claimed the man who has been gipsy leader for many years had threatened to "burn-out" the Varey family.

The Smiths live on a travellers' site at Springs Lane, Bickerton, near Wetherby, Hughie acting as warden at Thistle Hill, with his nephew working as manager.

After presiding magistrate John Carter suggested two police officers might need to be brought to court to explain "a suspicion of manipulation", the Crown sought a short adjournment.

Following a morning of legal argument and with eight prosecution witnesses, including two police officers, still to give evidence, prosecution barrister Kate Hunter-Gordon told the court her new instructions were to offer no evidence against the Smiths and to seek dismissal of the charges against them.

She said the prosecution had to ensure there was a realistic prospect of conviction and that it was in the public interest to proceed.

"There is, in my view, no realistic prospect of a conviction," she said. "I offer no evidence at this stage and invite you to dismiss the case."

When the court reconvened, Miss Hunter-Gordon asked for the charges to be dropped and Mr Carter told the Smiths that the dismissal of the charges meant they left the court with their characters and reputations untarnished.