WHEN top rally driver David Higgins lost a wheel after hitting a rock on a forest track, he was determined not to let the incident stop him from finishing the race.

He drove his £300,000 Hyundai Accent on only three wheels for 12 miles on the North Yorkshire roads.

But it was only when he was travelling along a busy main road that his race took a real turn for the worse.

Mr Higgins, 31, who is the reigning British rally champion, was stopped by police following complaints by other motorists

He had been competing in the Trackrod Rally in Dalby Forest, near Pickering, in October and had been due to finish second place, when misfortune struck.

He was able to continue after, pressing a button in the high-tech car, he could transfer transmission to the other wheels.

He made it through the forest and turned on to the A170 to Pickering - where he was questioned by police for an hour and a half, making him too late to complete the final stage.

He was then summoned to appear at Scarborough Magistrates' Court on a charge of being a driver not in a position to have proper control.

But the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has now dropped the case against him, saying that there was no realistic prospect of a conviction.

Mr Higgins, who lives in Powys, Wales said it was a great weight off his shoulders.

He added: "My wife was expecting a baby and all this court stuff going on was a distraction and cost which I did not need."

A spokesman for the CPS said: "This was an unusual case, due to Mr Higgins' profession.

"A number of factors were considered including the specification of the car, which is designed to be driven and controlled in extreme circumstances."

North Yorkshire Police said that they had no further comment.