A former member of hit pop group N-Dubz is in the clear after a charge of driving his Audi Q7 while disqualified was dropped.

Rapper and songwriter Richard Rawson, 27, better known by his stage name Fazer, denied the allegation at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court in July and had been due to return to the court for a trial last week.

But the Crown Prosecution Service has dropped the case after it emerged Mr Rawson, of Lambolle Road, Belsize Park, had not been told of his original driving disqualification.

A CPS spokesman said: “We received evidence that Mr Rawson had clearly not received notification of his driving disqualification due to an error of the court.

“In light of this, the case was reviewed and we concluded that it was no longer in the public interest to prosecute this matter, given the specific circumstances of this individual case.”