A DRINK-DRIVE case against gym tycoon and former professional tennis player David Lloyd has been dropped – after two top legal loophole lawyers teamed up to clear him.

The multi-millionaire was stopped by police while driving through the West Highlands earlier this year.

Lloyd, brother of former tennis star John Lloyd and former coach of Tim Henman, was charged with refusing to take a breath test when asked by a police officer who suspected he had been drinking.

But before the case was due to call for trial at Dumbarton Sheriff Court yesterday, it was dropped. It followed the work of Scottish road traffic specialist Graham Walker and Manchester-based solicitor Nick Freeman, who has been dubbed "Mr Loophole" for getting several celebrities off driving charges.

Mr Walker said the case had been "a team effort" and he was appointed because Mr Freeman – who cannot appear in Scottish courts – passed the case to him.

He said: "As the case had not called on the appointed trial date this means the matter is now at an end. The case preparation in this matter was exceptional but no less than I would expect from Nick Freeman – aka Mr Loophole. His speedy action in this case allowed certain evidence to be obtained quickly and I think it was this evidence that allowed the Crown to reconsider the pursuit of this case.

"Mr Freeman has been kind enough to refer several matters to me over the year but this was the first case where we were able to work together in ensuring that no stone was left unturned.

"I am well aware this will be a great relief to Mr Lloyd as he has considerable business responsibilities in the Far East at present and would have required to return to Scotland for a charge that he knew he was always innocent of."

Mr Walker's firm, RoadTraffic Law.com Ltd, has helped Old Firm footballers Alan Hutton and Aiden McGeady avoid speeding bans and represented Skye-born DJ Mylo when he was cleared of drink-driving.

Mr Freeman was nicknamed "Mr Loophole" after a number of unusual success stories.

One included helping clear comedian Jimmy Carr of using a mobile phone while driving after Mr Freeman argued Carr had used the dictation setting of his iPhone to record a joke as he drove and using the phone for such a purpose was not illegal.

He got a drink-drive trial dropped against snooker star Ronnie O'Sullivan after claiming the magistrate winked at a journalist, and at re-trial the judge accepted Mr Freeman's argument that O'Sullivan was "too depressed" to provide a sample.

Mr Freeman helped clear golfer Colin Montgomerie of speeding, had one of his points tot-up ban quashed, and cleared him of any punishment for driving while disqualified after explaining Montgomerie hated flying.

The charges against Lloyd, of Leatherhead in Surrey, alleged he was driving an Audi S3 Quattro on the A83 near Tarbet, Argyll, on April 22.

He was accused of refusing to give a sample for a roadside breath test, after being asked to do so by a police traffic officer.

A second charge alleged that, on the same day at Clydebank Police Station, he failed to provide two specimens of breath for analysis.

A Crown Office spokeswoman confirmed the case was closed.

She said: "After further consideration of the facts and circumstances, and in light of new evidence, it was decided there should be no further proceedings. The case is now closed."

Lloyd had appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court in June and denied the charges.

He and his brother John were two of the most successful British tennis players of the 1970s and 80s. Lloyd then built up the David Lloyd gym chain and in 1995 sold the David Lloyd Leisure Group for £20 million.