A kerb-crawling charge was dropped in court yesterday against millionaire Keith Schellenberg.

Mr Schellenberg, 73, a member of the 1956 British Olympic bobsleigh team, powerboat and vintage Bentley racer, former Yorkshire county rugby captain, water-skier and controversial laird of a Scottish island, was arrested by police in a red light area.

The trial date for the landowner was due to be set yesterday at Teesside Magistrates Court, in Middlesbrough, but the Crown Prosecution Service served a notice of discontinuance on his lawyer and Mr Schellenberg was awarded defence costs.

Afterwards, solicitor Graham Brown said: "The case was dropped because he is innocent.

"The reason given in the notice was insufficient evidence. He is greatly relieved. It has been a dreadful ordeal for him."

Mr Schellenberg was pleading not guilty to soliciting for the purposes of prostitution on November 10, in Middlesbrough, where police operate a name-and-shame policy.

The address of four-times married Mr Schellenberg, who once owned eight Bentleys, was given as St Nicholas, Richmond, North York- shire.

The millionaire has had an action-packed life. He once stood for Parliament under the Liberal banner in Richmond.

A lover of fast cars, he drove a Bentley open tourer in the 1974 London to Mexico rally and crashed one in the London to Sydney marathon.

He also owned the Ferrari Portago in which the Spanish Marquis de Portago won the Tour of France.

Setting up home in Scotland for 36 years, Mr Schellenberg headed Cleveland and Highland Holdings and lived in Udny Castle, Aberdeenshire.

Mr Schellenberg bought the Hebridean island of Eigg for £265,000 in 1975 and sold it for £1,500,000 20 years later after a divorce and bitter battles with the islanders. A mystery blaze before he left destroyed a favourite Rolls and a vintage fire engine.

Mr Schellenberg then moved to the 2,400-acre Killean Estate, in Kintyre, before returning to his native North Yorkshire.

He was excused attending court yesterday.