Olympic athlete Phillips Idowu charged with drink-driving

Phillips Idowu did not make it past the qualifying rounds at London 2012

Olympic triple jumper Phillips Idowu has been charged with drinking and driving after being stopped by police in Essex.

Idowu, 34, of Epping, is alleged to have been more than twice over the drink-drive limit while driving a Land Rover in Bridge Hill on 20 September.

He is due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court on Monday.

Idowu won silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but failed to get through the qualifying rounds at London 2012.

Away from the track, he was appointed a MBE in 2011 for services to athletics and recently appeared in Celebrity Masterchef on BBC One.