A PRESTON city councillor is considering his future after charges against him of detaining a child were dropped.

At a hearing in Preston Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning the charges against councillor Alan Valentine were withdrawn by the Crown Prosecution Service following a review of the evidence.

Solicitors acting on his behalf are now looking at whether he should take legal action.

The Preston city councillor, who has represented the Riversway Ward since 2000, was arrested and charged last month with detaining a child under the age of 16 without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.

The alleged incident was said to concern a Preston girl who was 13 or 14 at the time, before January 1 this year.

Another councillor, the former leader of the Preston Lib Dem group, Bill Chadwick, was also charged and has also had the charge withdrawn.

Chadwick, 48, still faces another, unrelated charge, of making indecent photographs of a child.

Coun Valentine, 27, had property seized by the police when he was arrested at the home he shares with Chadwick in Avenham Street, Preston.

Paul Schofield, of Farley's solicitors in Blackburn, representing Coun Valentine, said: "I am instructed by Mr Valentine to express his relief at today's decision.

"These proceedings should never have been brought and have thankfully been concluded swiftly by the Crown Prosecution Service.

"We are carefully considering his position as far as any future action is concerned."

Coun Valentine was at home last night, and his colleague Coun Ron Marshall, leader of the Liberal Democrat group in Preston, said he and Chadwick were 'delighted and relieved' by the outcome.

Coun Marshall said: "This is the latest charge to collapse in court. There were four other unrelated charges against Coun Chadwick that also collapsed.

"We are delighted for our colleagues and always believed they would be completely exonerated of the charges laid against them."

Councillor Chadwick recently stepped down as the Lib Dem leader and is the representative for the Ingol Ward in Preston.

Coun Marshall added: "Bill Chadwick has been a long-serving servant of Preston. I am sure the public are as delighted as we are."

Preston CID declined to comment.