A FORMER Royal Marine who was suspected of setting fire to footballer Andy Carroll’s car will not face charges.

Rob Curran was suspected of arson after the former Newcastle United striker’s luxury Range Rover was found ablaze outside ex-Newcastle United captain Kevin Nolan’s home in Darras Hall, Northumberland, last year.

Carroll had dated two of Mr Curran’s former girlfriends, and police suspected a revenge attack.

Mr Curran, 33, was arrested at Newcastle Airport in April this year in front of his bosses as he returned from a work trip.

Carroll’s £70,000 chrome-plated 4x4 had been set alight outside Nolan’s Ponteland home, where Carroll was staying at the time, in October last year

Mr Curran was alleged to have carried out the attack because Carroll is currently seeing his ex, Stacey Miller, and the footballer has also dated another of his former girlfriends.

But after five months on bail the professional bodyguard has now been told there is no evidence against him and he will not be charged. Mr Curran said: “I just want to clear my name now. I’m gutted about the whole thing.

“I was arrested at the airport in front of my boss, with all my friends and colleagues thinking I was an arsonist. It’s just embarrassing.”

Mr Curran, from Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, has never been friends with Carroll, but was implicated in the arson through a string of coincidences.

Carroll started seeing Mr Curran’s ex Faye Johnstone when they split in 2004. Then in July last year the footballer started dating Stacey Miller, just weeks after she separated from Mr Curran.