PITREAVIE'S Eilidh Doyle will lead the British Athletics team at next month's World Championships, it has been announced.

The 30-year-old 400 metre hurdles star has been chosen as team captain for the meet in London after a vote by fellow members of the squad.

Doyle has been handed the role following a poll of all 78 athletes selected for the team and comes after she became the most decorated Scottish track and field athlete in history in March after winning a 4x400m relay silver at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade.

She was picked ahead of the likes of reigning 5,000m and 10,000, World Champion Sir Mo Farah and current long jump world champion Greg Rutherford and, speaking to British Athletics, she said: "I’m absolutely chuffed to bits. It’s a huge honour to have been elected by my peers as the Team Captain for British Athletics at London 2017. To lead your team at a home World Championships is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity and to have your teammates vote that they want you to do it, makes it even more special."

Doyle, who will take to the track at the World Championships for a fifth time, was the face of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and completed a "grand slam" set of Commonwealth, European and World Championship medals last year in Rio, when she added Olympic 4x400m bronze to her collection.

Neil Black, British Athletics performance director, said: "I’m delighted for Eilidh. She’s a fierce competitor and a fantastic role model for younger athletes in the team. Eilidh is Scotland’s most decorated athlete and has won a medal at all of the majors. She knows what it takes to win! That’s the type of athlete and mindset we need to lead us into a home world championships."

Previously the performance director chose who would fill the role but, this year, each athlete in the squad was asked to nominate a fellow competitor.

The captain's responsibilities include media duties such as the official team press conference in London and delivering a pre-championships speech during a meeting with the whole squad.

The championships run from August 4-13 at the London Stadium.