Assault charges against Newcastle United defender Jamaal Lascelles dropped

The Crown Prosecution Service has confirmed that all charges of assault against Newcastle United footballer Jamaal Lascelles have been dropped.

The defender, who is currently on loan at former club Nottingham Forest, appeared in court charged with assaulting a man and causing actual bodily harm at Lola Lo nightclub in Derby on April 23 last year.

Lascelles, 21, also confirmed the news himself on Twitter, writing: "After being wrongly accused and charged with assault, I can now happily say all charges have been dropped and my name has been cleared."

The England Under-21 international signed a six-year contract with Newcastle last summer, but was sent back to former club Forest on a season-long loan.