Bangkok bombing: Police clear two suspects caught on security video

Thai police have cleared two men it had earlier identified as suspects in the Erawan shrine bombing in Bangkok earlier this week.

The pair, in red and white T-shirts, were caught on a security camera standing in front of the main suspect in the 17 August blast at the Erawan shrine that killed 20 people and injured 120.

The grainy footage shows the prime suspect, wearing a yellow T-shirt and shorts, sitting down on a bench at the Hindu shrine, taking off his backpack, and leaving it behind shortly before the deadly explosion.

The two men – a Thai tour guide and a Chinese tourist – were seen standing near the main suspect in the video, and reportedly turned themselves in after officials said they might be accomplices in the attack.

But police spokesman Lt Gen Prawut Thavornsiri said the pair were "definitely" no longer suspects, according to the Guardian newspaper.

Earlier, police released a sketch of the main suspect, believed to be a foreigner, based on the video and a description provided by a motorcycle taxi driver who gave him a ride on the night of the attack.

He faces six charges including conspiring to commit premeditated murder and conspiring to commit a bombing that resulted in death and severe injuries, the Associated Press agency reported.

On 20 August, Thai authorities requested Interpol help in locating the suspect, who police say may have been wearing a disguise.

They have offered a 1m baht (£18,000; €25,000; $28,000) bounty for anyone who can provide information leading to his arrest.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, which officials say is the worst in Thailand's history.