A case against a young paparazzi who had been arrested for allegedly stalking the singing star Barbra Streisand has been thrown out of court.

The judge in Los Angeles dismissed the case against Wendal Wall, 28, after several minutes.

Mr Wall, who lives close to Miss Streisand, was released after spending four days in custody. He says he plans to carry on taking pictures of her.

He was arrested after Miss Streisand and her husband, the actor James Brolin, complained that he had pursued them and taken pictures while they were out shopping last weekend.

Mr Wall was held on the unusually high bail of $1m after Miss Streisand complained that he had been following her for years.

Paparazzi delight

A successful stalking prosecution, however, demands proof that the victim was scared and endangered.

Outside the courtroom, Mr Wall produced the pictures he had taken. They showed Miss Streisand, whose millennium concert brought in nearly $53m, without her make-up and dressed in a rather unflattering baggy shirt.

The judge's decision was welcomed by members of the paparazzi who converged on the court to support Mr Wall.

Hollywood authorities tend to be protective of their stars and one photographer said the verdict showed that money and influence could not after all dent a person's right to take pictures in a public place.