The 'Careless Whisper' singer ' whose real name is Georgios Panayiotou ' was charged this morning (12.08.10) and later freed on bail to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court later this month.

The charges stem from an incident last month, when the 47-year-old singer - who only recently ended a two-year driving ban - was arrested after losing control of his Range Rover and crashing into the door of a shop in the early hours of July 4 after attending the Gay Pride parade in London.

This is not the first time George has been in trouble with the police.

He was arrested in September 2008 after being caught in a public toilet in possession of crack cocaine and marijuana.

A year previously he was handed 100 hours community service for drug driving after being found slumped at the wheel of his Mercedes car by police.

In a frank interview last year the ex-WHAM! star insisted he had cut down his marijuana use, smoking only "seven or eight" cannabis-laced cigarettes a day from 25.

George - who is in a long-term relationship with art dealer Kenny Goss - also admitted he was frustrated that people judge him for his drug use and penchant for casual gay sex.

He said: "People want to see me as tragic with all the cottaging and drug-taking. I don't see them as weaknesses any more. It's just who I am.

"I've done different things at different times that I shouldn't have done, once or twice, you know. Of course, nobody wants to regularly smoke crack."