A woman who had been accused of starting a fire at a Chippenham town centre flat has had the charges against her dropped.

Amanda Wilkinson, 34, pleaded not guilty to a charge of arson with intent to endanger life in relation to a fire in the town.

Prosecutors then offered no evidence and a judge at Swindon Crown Court returned a formal not guilty verdict.

Wilkinson, who has been remanded since her arrest in January, was then released from custody.

Wilkinson had been accused of started a blaze at the flat in Station Hill on Friday, January 3, this year.

The emergency services were called to the flat, close to the former Karma nightclub, at about 2.30am on the Friday morning.

A team of seven police officers were the first on the scene and PCs Nick McVey and Jamie Ball went into the property to see if there was anyone inside.

Firefighters arrived soon after and after donning breathing apparatus to go in to the property they established no one was inside.