Swashbuckling millionaire Keith Schellenberg appeared in court on a kerb-crawling charge today but he said that at 73 he was not that kind of action man.

Schellenberg, member of the 1956 British Olympic bobsleigh team powerboat and vintage Bentley racer, former Yorkshire county rugby captain, waterskier and controversial laird of a Scottish island, was arrested by vice police in a red light area last Sunday.

Yesterday in a courtroom aptly named Fast Track the suave landowner pleaded not guilty to soliciting for the purposes of prostitution in Middlesbrough, Teesside, where police operate a Name and Shame policy.

When the charge was read to him at Teesside Magistrates Court in the town he replied firmly: "Not guilty."

He was remanded on unconditional bail for a week to fix a trial which will be in April or May because of case backlog, said his solicitor Andrew Turton.

Three-times wed Schellenberg who once owned eight Bentleys, gave his address as Richmond, North Yorkshire, 30-miles from Middlesbrough, where he was a Liberal Parliamentary candidate.

He drove an eight litre 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 whose widow gave it to him as a keepsake.

In 1973 he bought Kaiser Bill's 300-tonn steam yacht Scharnhorn for charter around the Western Island after restoration.

Oundle educated Schellenberg bought the Hebriddean island of Eigg for £265,000 in 1975 and sold it for £1,5000,000 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.

Schellenberg began again on 2,500 acre Killean Estate, Kintyre, before moving back to his native North Yorkshire.

Today wearing green cords and a checked sportsjacket, the grey-haired all-rounder who was quoted two years ago saying: "I've had a wonderful life, been very lucky and don't regret a thing," left court carrying a briefcase.