An Olympic sprinter from Croydon is in hospital suffering potentially career-threatening injuries following a crash last night.

James Ellington, who started his career training at Crystal Palace Sports Centre, and Nigel Levine, a Trinidad-born 400m runner, are understood to have been on motorbikes when they were hit by an oncoming car.

Their injuries are not life-threatening but there are fears about their ability to compete again at the highest level, with Lewisham-born Ellington already needing surgery on a broken leg.

Both athletes are in hospital in Tenerife, where they were with other members of the GB sprint team for warm-weather training.

A British Athletics spokesman said: "Regretfully we can confirm that James Ellington and Nigel Levine have sustained injuries following a road accident in Tenerife on Tuesday evening.

"Both athletes are receiving medical treatment and are conscious and stable. British Athletics medical staff are with the athletes and liaising with hospital staff over their treatment.

"We are in communication with their family members in the UK and will be keeping them informed of the situation."

Former Forest Hill School pupil Ellington, 31, is a 100 and 200 metres specialist and a two-time Olympian. He was also a key member of GB's gold medal-winning 4x100m relay teams at the 2014 and 2016 European Championships.

Levine, 27, is a 400m runner. He won a European outdoor relay gold in 2014 and an indoor relay gold in 2013.

Both men were wearing helmets at the time of the accident and there is no suggestion at this stage of any wrongdoing on their part.