A wanted man who taunted police when he went on the run has had the charges against him dropped.

Lee Mapstone put numerous pictures on Facebook as he evaded capture accused of kidnap, robbery and possessing a knife.

The 36-year-old posted shots of London landmarks like The Ritz, Buckingham Palace, and Paddington Green police station during his time as a fugitive.

He even sent a Christmas card to a detectives boasting he would spend the festive season at large while they failed to catch him.

But he was caught soon after at an address in Swindon and as he was also wanted for breach of the conditions of his early release, he was remanded in custody.

Now after spending almost six months behind bars he has had the charges against him dropped when he appeared for trial at Swindon Crown Court.

But he was not released from as he was still being held under a three-year sentence imposed in January 2016 for other matters.

Mapstone had been due to stand trial after pleading not guilty to kidnapping a woman and robbing her of a ring and bracelet on Sunday September 24 last year.

He was also said to have been in possession of a kitchen knife at The Bungalows, Pinehurst, on the same day.

But after witnesses failed to turn up for the hearing prosecutors offered no evidence against him and Judge Robert Pawson entered formal not guilty verdicts.

Mapstone, of no fixed abode, pleaded not guilty to kidnap, robbery and possessing a bladed article.

He went on the run last September posting mocking messages on his Facebook page along with pictures claiming he was in London.

He also took one outside the capital’s Paddington Green police station, captioning it ‘Was going to hand myself in but had change of heart.’

Another snap showed of six uniformed officers standing next to marked motorbikes saying ‘all they do is eat doughnuts and drink coffee’.

By December he got an advent calendar which was opening saying he was ‘100 per cent confident’ he would spend Christmas on the run.

But days later he was caught and while magistrates remanded him in custody he was also recalled on the earlier licence.

The three-year sentence was imposed after he was found guilty at trial of GBH, relating to an incident where a man suffered a badly-broken arm. He was also convicted of theft and burglary.