Ex-England football star jailed

Police found Gary Charles on the floor of his car

Former England footballer Gary Charles has been jailed for dangerous driving.

Charles, 33, who played for Nottingham Forest, Derby, Aston Villa and West Ham, was found drunk in his silver Mercedes in September 2003.

He had pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving and failing to provide a specimen and expressed "disgust" at his actions.

On Tuesday at Derby Magistrates' Court Charles was jailed for four months and banned from driving for four years.

Vodka bottle

The court heard that during the incident he shunted the Mercedes into a series of obstacles in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, before swerving to avoid cars and finally reversing the vehicle into a hedge.

In a separate incident last May, Charles abandoned a hire car on a slip road after striking a crash barrier.

He fled the vehicle, which was found off the A448 in Worcestershire, leaving torn-up banknotes on the rear seat.

Police officers discovered an empty vodka bottle in the footwell and Charles was arrested in a nearby town centre.

Charles, of Highstairs Lane, Stretton, Alfreton, Derbyshire, had his football career ended by injury in 2002.

He appeared twice for England but was better known for being on the receiving end of the tackle which almost ended Paul Gascoigne's football career in the 1991 FA Cup final.