The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) withdrew its case against a Welsh sheep farmer just hours before he was due to appeal a conviction that had major ramifications for the future of common land grazing in Wales.

Bryn Roberts grazes sheep on Tal y Fan mountain in Conwy and some strayed onto the A55 earlier this year.

The police linked two of the sheep to Mr Roberts by their tag numbers and he was prosecuted and later convicted of anti-social behaviour.

It was a case that had caused alarm among all graziers with rights to common land in Wales.

Tal y Fan Graziers Association secretary Dewi Jones suggested that every grazier risked future prosecution if the appeal failed as it could set a legal precedent for similar prosecutions.

Association members had stated that they would more or less abandon grazing the common land if it put them at risk of prosecution.

But just 36 hours before Mr Roberts was due to appear in court, the CPS withdrew its case.

Although his name has been cleared, defending the action has left Mr Roberts with a bill for legal fees in excess of £12,000.

Common land farmers from four grazing associations covering the Llanfairfechan, Aber, Llanllechid, Conwy, Alltwen, Llechwedd and Rowen areas have contributed £2,250 towards that bill.

The Tal y Fan Common Grazing Association held a meeting last month to discuss plans to erect a fence to prevent stock from wandering onto the highway.

It wanted to put up 200m of fencing across the narrowest part of the common close to the road but was not given permission therefore sheep will inevitably continue to wander onto the highway.

The Association said it desperately needed Conwy County Council to come up with a solution.

Common land is believed to cover over 1.5m acres of land in Wales and England.

Mr Roberts hefts Welsh Mountain ewes and lambs on Tal y Fan common, where he has rights to graze 516 sheep.

There are rights to graze a total of 5,079 sheep on the mountain, with other Association members sharing the remaining rights.