Former South Yorkshire Police (SYP) chief inspector Sir Norman Bettison will face no charges over allegations that he lied following the 1989 Hillsborough football disaster.
The news will anger survivors of the disaster and friends and relatives of those who died.
Some 96 Liverpool fans died after a crush at the Hillsborough ground in Sheffield.
Bettison was a chief inspector with SYP at the time and had faced four charges of misconduct in public office. He was accused of untruthfully describing his role in the SYP response as “peripheral” when applying for the job of chief constable in Merseyside.
He was also accused of lying when he said he never tried to blame fans for the disaster.
Bettison’s appeal for the charges to be dismissed was due to be heard at Preston Crown Court on Tuesday of this week.
But the CPS told the judge that all charges were being withdrawn.
Five other men are due to face trial for alleged offences relating to the disaster next year.
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