Jude Law 'cleared of assault charge'

Jude Law has reportedly been cleared of allegations that he assaulted a female photographer earlier this year.

The Sherlock Holmes actor was allegedly pictured lashing out at a female member of the paparazzi as he exited a London nightclub in July.

Law was accused of striking Harsha Gopal on the head and slapping her face as she attempted to take his picture, though his lawyer always maintained that the claims were "nonsense", Contactmusic reports.

The star explained that he had been blinded by the camera flashes and as he held out his arm to shield his eyes, he accidentally struck one of the photographers.

In a statement, a spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service said: "A careful analysis of the specific evidence in this case, which included photographs and eye witness statements, indicates that Mr Law had no intention to assault anyone.

"While Mr Law accepted that he may have come into contact with someone while attempting to make his way to his car, it is highly likely that a court would decide his actions were reasonable given that his path was deliberately impeded by a crowd of photographers."