Operation napkin racism case collapses
27 July 2000
The first court case against a diner, arrested by Gloucestershire police in its Operation Napkin anti-racism campaign, has collapsed.
Fifty-one-year-old Stephen Nichols was due to appear for trial last week on charges of racial abuse to staff at Gloucester's Shahi Balti restaurant after being arrested by plain-clothed police who witnessed the incident.
But the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has discontinued the case against Mr Nichols, of Cinderford, who pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing (Caterer, 20 April, page 5).
Gloucestershire police said: "We are disappointed that the CPS has decided not to proceed with this case, although at this stage we are not aware of the reason."
Nobody was available from the CPS to comment.
