COLDPLAY - COLDPLAY SINGER REQUESTS AUSSIE POLICE DROP DAMAGE CHARGE

COLDPLAY frontman CHRIS MARTIN has asked Australian police to drop the charge of maliciously destroying property against him.

The CLOCKS singer was arrested on 20 July (03) after a heated discussion between him and a paparazzo photographer, which resulted in the snapper's car windscreen being smashed.

Martin - who did not appear personally in Byron Bay Magistrates Court today (08OCT03) - has become increasingly unhappy with the press attention devoted to him since he started dating Hollywood superstar GWYNETH PALTROW.

MEGAN CUSACK, Martin's lawyer, told reporters that she had presented the YELLOW star's request to police and they were currently deciding on a course of action.

She says, "It will be decided by the police services...whether they will be dismissed."

According to reports, the estimated total damage done to the car was less than A$2,000 ($1,472/GBP920). The maximum sentence that could be handed to Martin is five years in prison. The case is adjourned until 21 November (03).