Mr Gough was arrested at the start of his 847-mile walk

Steve Gough, 44, was seized on 17 June while being interviewed by a television crew near St Ives in Cornwall as he tried to walk between Land's End and John O'Groats.

Mr Gough, from Eastleigh, Hampshire, was charged with behaviour likely to cause a breach of the peace and bailed to appear before Truro Magistrates' Court.

But Simon Jones, prosecuting, asked for the case to be withdrawn because Mr Gough - who did not appear in court - had not committed a criminal offence.

Trek started

Mr Gough planned to undertake the 847-mile trek dressed only in a hat, socks, boots and a rucksack to publicise his campaign for a change in the laws on nudity.

Mr Gough was not available for comment on Thursday after the case against him was withdrawn.

But an entry on his web site said he had started his trek from Land's End to John O'Groats.

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokeswoman confirmed that after starting the walk the personal freedom campaigner was arrested in Newquay last week.

Mr Gough pleaded not guilty at Liskeard Magistrates Court on Monday and was remanded on unconditional bail until 17 July.

Earlier this year, bosses at BBC South were forced to call off a radio interview between veteran DJ John Peel and Mr Gough when the nude rights campaigner refused to cover up.

Father-of-two Mr Gough had cycled five miles to the BBC offices in Southampton from his home in Eastleigh dressed in nothing but open-toed sandals.