Two England rugby fans charged with racially-aggravated assault on Burger King workers in London have had the racial element of their charges dropped.
The charges faced by Ben Hayman and Will Footitt were dropped on the direction of the judge at a trial at Kingston Crown Court that is continuing this week.
The case opened on Wednesday, October 9, and that happened at the Twickenham branch of Burger King after an England v Japan rugby game at the stadium nearby.
Hayman, 29, of Fallowfield in Warmley, near Bristol, and Footitt, also 29, of Bath Road in Bridgeyate, were charged with racially aggravated assault on Burger King workers during an altercation on November 17 last year.
The two men have also been charged with affray, along with Hayman's father Martin, 61, also of Fallowfield in Warmley.
The first day of the trial heard that Footitt and Ben Hayman were alleged to have used racist abuse as they attacked Burger King staff, but the racially-aggravated element of the two assault charges was dropped on the direction of the judge on the trial's second day.
Footitt had pleaded guilty to assaulting Burger King worker Parvat Bishwakarma, but without the now-dropped racial element.
The trial is now continuing with all three men charged with affray - a charge they deny.
Ben Hayman has pleaded not guilty to assaulting Mr Bishwakarma, and the trial will continue into that, but now the racial element of the case has been dropped.
Footitt's trial continues into the affray charge he denies, but now the racial element of his assault charge has been dropped, his guilty plea to that stands.
The trial continues.
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