A Derry councillor has had a charge of taking part in an illegal procession dropped.

District Judge Conor Heaney made the ruling at Londonderry Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

Shaun Harkin was accused of participating in a demonstration on Ferryquay Street on 17 February 2024.

The judge found that the movement of a small group from Foyleside shopping centre to a nearby cafe did not amount to a procession under the law.

Four other people face continued proceedings for a separate event on 14 February 2024.

Judge Heaney ruled that a march from the Diamond to the Guildhall on that date met the legal definition of a procession.

The case against those four defendants will resume on 29 June.