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Cops drop Clattenburg case

London - British police said on Tuesday they had no plans to continue enquiries into a complaint regarding alleged racist comments by referee Mark Clattenburg towards a Chelsea player because no victim had come forward.

The Society of Black Lawyers reported Clattenburg to London's Metropolitan Police after Chelsea complained to the English Football Association the referee used a term understood to have been interpreted as racist towards John Obi Mikel during the 3-2 English Premier League defeat by Manchester United on October 28.

While the FA enquiry is continuing, a police statement said, from their perspective, "the matter cannot currently be investigated".

"An investigation was launched into alleged comments made during a football match between Chelsea FC and Manchester United FC at Stamford Bridge on 28 October 2012," the statement said.

"This follows on from a complaint received by the Metropolitan Police Service on 29 October.

"Enquires were made and no victims have come forward. The matter will remain as a recorded incident.

"Without a victim and/or any evidence that any offence has been committed, the matter cannot currently be investigated."

However, the statement added police could look again at the incident.

"If the situation changes and a victim and/or evidence to support an allegation of a crime comes to police attention then further enquiries will if appropriate be made," it read.

It was announced on Monday that Clattenburg would miss another round of Premier League matches - the third successive weekend since Chelsea made their complaint that football chiefs have felt it best to keep the 37-year-old official out of the firing line.

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