A LANDLADY has spoken of her relief after forgery charges brought against her were dropped by prosecutors.

Jacqueline Johnson, landlady of Uncle Jacks, Branch Road, Blackburn, and wife of Blackburn with Darwen Council counciilor Michael Johnson, faced two charges under the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act.

He said: "The court case with Jacqueline was an argument over paperwork in which nobody benefited or lost anything."

And after the Crown Prosecution Service discontinued the prosecution she said she was glad that common sense had at last prevailed.

"It is a great relief that it is all over," said Mrs Johnson, 50, of Deans Street, Darwen, who had indicated her innocence right from the start of the proceedings.

"This has all come about as a result of a genuine mistake on my part and I feel it could and should have been sorted out without the involvement of the police or the courts."

Mrs Johnson had elected to be tried at Preston Crown Court on the charges and her solicitor, Basharat Ditta, said he was pleased that public expense had been saved.

"My client has always maintained her innocence and would have gone before a jury at the Crown Court confident that she would have been fully vindicated," said Mr Ditta.

"This early conclusion to the procee-dings is in everybody's best interest."

Coun Johnson said he was also involved in a legal case between himself and the brewery, Scottish and Newcastle Pub Enterprises, over whether he should be allowed to buy beer from a cash and carry instead of directly from the brewery.

A spokesman for the brewery said: "The criminal charges against Mrs Johnson were brought by the CPS.

"That was their decision and it was their decision to drop the charges."