TELEVISION celebrity Michael Hogben has been cleared of stealing two paintings after the case against him was dropped following legal argument.

The 54-year-old of Dymchurch Road, Hythe, had denied one charge of theft.

At Canterbury Crown Court on Monday, his lawyer Oliver Saxby made submissions based on the delay between the theft of the paintings being reported in August 2005 and Mr Hogben being charged in November 2006.

He said those delays had made investigation of the possibilities of the paintings being lost or mislaid or stolen impossible.

Upholding the application, Judge Nigel van der Bijl said it was a case in which the subject of the thefts, the two paintings, had gone missing and a jury would have no exhibits before them. It was therefore impossible for the defence and probably for a jury to know what the case was all about.

He said: "Works of art are notorious in disappearing speedily without a trace. It is vital that any investigation into such articles is done speedily. That has clearly not happened in this case.

"It doesn't leave Mr Hogben with a verdict of not guilty but it leaves him with a case in which the proceedings cannot be proceeded with without the leave of this court or the Court of Appeal."

He concluded that Mr Hogben, who is well known for appearances on programmes such as Bargain Hunt and Real Deal, was innocent.