Rangers legend Nacho Novo walked free from court on a driving rap after enlisting the help of the loophole lawyer.

Novo, who was being prosecuted under his full name - Ignacio Gomez Novo - was due to appear in the dock at Paisley’s Justice of the Peace Court to face a charge of stopping in a controlled area in his blue BMW sports car.

Novo was accused of breaking the law by stopping in “a controlled area” at “the puffin Pedestrian Crossing at Busby Road, Clarkston” in his BMW on March 24 this year - in breach of Section 36(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

The retired Spanish striker, of East Kilbride, had spent the morning sitting in the public gallery with his agent and did not have a solicitor to appear on his behalf.

But he called on the services of road traffic expert Terry Gallanagh, a partner in the firm at roadlaw.co.uk, in a last-minute move.

And within minutes of speaking to Mr Gallanagh about his case it was dropped - after the lawyer noticed that prosecutors had bungled the case.

Mr Gallanagh claimed prosecutors had not served paperwork on time - the same as in the speeding case against David Beckham last week - leading to Novo being cleared without having to appear in the dock.

When the case called in court, after Novo had been told he could leave the building as his case was being dropped.