Former Coventry City player and Southampton manager David Jones has been cleared of indecent abuse of children.

The allegations related to time Jones spent working at a residential special school on Merseyside between 1986 and 1990.

The trial was stopped today after one of the four people who had made the claims refused to come to court to give evidence.

Jones faced ten charges of indecent assault, three of assault causing actual bodily harm, and one of buggery.

The judge ruled that Jones, who played for Coventry City in 1979, should be cleared of the four charges relating to that witness.

He then said the jury should be discharged as they had heard evidence relating to incidents that were no longer being tried.

Jones, aged 44, who was replaced as Saints boss by Glenn Hoddle as he concentrated on fighting the charges, was told that he was free to leave the court.