A Christian street preacher from Cumbria is pleased "crazy" criminal charges against him have been dropped after being arrested for saying homosexuality is a sin.

Dale Mcalpine, 42, was charged with a public order offence and hauled away by three police officers after preaching to shoppers in Workington last month.

But after an outcry from Christian groups, civil liberty supporters - and even gay rights activists - the charges have been dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Mr Mcalpine said: "I'm very pleased that they have seen sense really. I forgive the police.

"I'm now seeking advice as to what to do next to prevent it happening again.

"I was quite happy to go to court, I had not broken any law."

Mr Mcalpine had been handing out leaflets and talking to passers-by about his Christian beliefs in Workington on April 20 last month when he said he was approached by a gay Police Community Support Officer who also acts as a police liaison officer for the local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Cumbria.

Mr Mcalpine said: "He told me he was homosexual.

"I said 'the Bible says homosexuality is a sin', he said 'I'm offended by that and I'm also the LGBT liaison officer within the police'. I said 'it is still a sin'."

Mr Mcalpine said three uniformed police officers then appeared and spoke to the PCSO and they accused him of using homophobic language and he was held for breaching section 5 of the Public Order Act by allegedly using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress and he was taken to the cells of a local police station, charged and was due to stand trial later this year.

But the CPS has confirmed they would not be prosecuting Mr Mcalpine, a spokeswoman said: "Mr Mcalpine was charged after a member of the public raised concerns with a Police Community Support Officer.

"The decision to charge was made on the basis of all information available at the time.

"We keep cases under constant review and following a further review of all the evidence in this case we were no longer satisfied that there was sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction and we have therefore discontinued the proceedings against Mr Mcalpine."

Gay rights activist Peter Tatchell said arresting someone for anti-gay views is unjustified and heavy-handed.

He added: "I urge the Home Secretary, Theresa May, to issue new guidelines, making it clear that the police should not arrest people for expressing prejudiced views in a non-threatening and non-aggressive manner.

"Causing offence to others is not a legitimate basis for putting a person on trial."