Rugby league player Jamie Dallimore has been banned from all sport for three years after traces of a banned substance were found in a urine sample.

The former Barrow Raiders half back’s out of competition urine sample, collected by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) in October 2021, returned a finding for clenbuterol.

Clenbuterol is an anabolic agent used to gain muscle and burn fat.

The drug is banned at all times under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List.

When asked by UKAD about the circumstances of the finding, Dallimore said it was likely the result was due to him having taken a tablet given to him by a friend to “help boost energy and burn fat” while playing amateur football on October 14, 2021.

UKAD had intended to ban the 33-year-old for four years, but reduced the ban by one year due to his early admission and acceptance of the charges.

The ban commenced on December 16, 2021 and will expire at midnight on December 15, 2024.

Speaking on the case, UKAD director of operations, Pat Myhill said: “Athletes are solely responsible for what goes into their bodies. They should never assume that something is safe to take without checking it first.

“There are potentially damaging side effects to using anabolic agents, such as clenbuterol, not just to an athlete’s career and their sport but to their own health. It is simply not worth the risk.

"We encourage all athletes to take the time to check what they are taking and to learn more about the rules and their responsibilities via our educational resources on the UKAD website or the 100 per cent me app.”