Rooney agent escapes prosecution

Paul Stretford is founder of the ProActive sports agency

Soccer agent Paul Stretford will not be prosecuted for misleading a court over his signing of England and Manchester United star Wayne Rooney, police say.

Mr Stretford caused the collapse of a blackmail trial at Warrington Crown Court last month.

He was a witness in a case of three men accused of trying to get him to hand over a slice of his Rooney earnings.

Mr Stretford misled the court about not representing Rooney before his original contract expired.

One of the defendants, John Hyland, was an associate of Rooney's original agent and felt Stretford had poached the young striker unfairly.

Not guilty

Mr Stretford, founder of the ProActive Sports agency, told the jury he had not represented Rooney before his original contract expired.

But when documents had to be handed over, it became clear that was not the case.

The prosecution offered no further evidence and automatic not guilty verdicts were passed on all three defendants.

Cheshire Police investigated the collapse of the trial but announced on Wednesday that no action would be taken.