Three men accused of stealing food from the bins of a supermarket will no longer face charges.
The u-turn by the Crown Prosecution Service came after an outcry when it emerged the group had been arrested and were facing charges.
On Wednesday afternoon, the CPS admitted it had not considered whether a prosecution was in the public interest.
The three men, who all live in a squat in north London, were facing prosecution over claims they took tomatoes, mushrooms, cheese and Mr Kipling cakes from bins behind a branch of Iceland in Kentish Town, London.
The retailer said that the store is next to a police station and that officers had attended "on their own initiative".
Today Baljit Ubhey from the Crown Prosecution Service said: "This case has been reviewed by a senior lawyer and it has been decided that a prosecution is not required in the public interest. While the decision to charge was taken by the
Metropolitan Police Service, a subsequent review of the case by the CPS did not give due weight to the public interest factors tending against prosecution.
"In reconsidering this case, we have had particular regard to the seriousness of the alleged offence and the level of harm done. Both of these factors weigh against a prosecution.
"Additionally, further representations received today from Iceland Foods have affected our assessment of the public interest in prosecuting."