A SOUTH Lakeland motorist who had denied causing the death of an elderly cyclist by careless driving has been acquitted after no evidence was offered against him.

Nathan James Holme, 24, had faced one charge. This alleged that his careless driving of an Audi A3, on the A6 at Milnthorpe on March 7 of 2018, caused the death of Joseph Eric Park.

Mr Park, who was 74 and known as Eric, died after his pedal cycle and the Audi were in collision on Church Street, close to its junction with St Anthony's Hill.

Mr Holme had been due to go on trial in front of a jury at Carlisle Crown Court having previously pleaded not guilty to the allegation.

But this afternoon, prosecutor Nicola Gatto revealed to Judge Nicholas Barker that a decision had been taken by the Crown Prosecution Service to offer no evidence against Mr Holme. This had been made by a senior lawyer after consideration was given to the contents of a report produced jointly by forensic collision investigators instructed, respectively, by the prosecution and defence teams.

"As such my instructions are to offer no evidence," Miss Gatto said.

In response, Judge Barker said in a short address to Mr Holme, of Broad Ing Crescent, Kendal: "In those circumstances I return a verdict of not guilty. That results in this matter coming to a conclusion. You are discharged and can leave the dock."