by political editor Paul Francis

Prosecutors in Kent dropped more than 500 criminal cases last year despite there being enough evidence to bring offenders to court.

Figures released by the Kent Crown Prosecution Service show that 534 cases were stopped from going to court on public interest grounds - a 24% increase on the previous year.

Overall, prosecutions were dropped in 2,207 cases with one in four of those shelved because they were not considered to be in the public interest.

Of those cases discontinued on public interest grounds, one in four - 134 - were shelved because a caution was deemed more appropriate. That represents a rise of 59% on the previous year.

More than 50 were dropped because the suspect or defendant was elderly or in significant ill-health - more than twice as many as the previous year.

The largest number - 160 - were discontinued because the defendant was facing another indictment or sentence for other more serious offences and the prosecution service determined that it was not worth pursuing more minor ones.

The KPS said many factors were considered when reaching decisions about whether to drop cases.

Prosecutors worked to a code that required them to assess whether bringing cases to court was in the public interest, having first established there was the realistic prospect of a conviction.

In a statement, it said: "The public interest test allows common sense and compassion to play their part in criminal proceedings. Cost does not enter into the decision making process."

Where cautions were used, it was not a soft option.

"Cautioning is not a soft option. Cautions are recorded on an offender’s record and are referred to should an individual offend again."

In some cases, circumstances changed as the case evolved that meant prosecutions may be dropped as new information came to light, it added.

"Changes in the circumstances of victims or the defendant or the provision of additional information, not known at the time decisions were originally made can all impact on a decision to prosecute."

Nationally, the Crown Prosecution Service dropped more than 21,000 cases on public interest grounds in 2010-2011.

The figures were released to the KM Group in response to a request made under the Freedom of Information Act.