A doping charge against Scotland forward Scott MacLeod has been dropped after investigators accepted that his high levels of testosterone were triggered by alcohol. The Scarlets player has been allowed an immediate return to action following his suspension last month.

MacLeod was cleared after an investigation by UK Sport and an independent review panel discovered the alcohol in the player's system.

MacLeod had pleaded his innocence after an elevated level of testosterone was discovered following an unannounced out-of-competition drugs test earlier this year.

The 29-year-old claimed the results had been caused by his consumption of a significant amount of alcohol the previous evening - and analysis of a second urine sample backed up his case.

MacLeod is relieved his name has been cleared but criticised the procedures that led to his suspension.

MacLeod said: "I am glad that this ordeal is finally over and look forward to resuming my playing career with Scarlets and Scotland.

"I never thought that an impromptu night out to celebrate the news that I was going to become a dad for the first time would lead to all this.

"Nevertheless, I feel very frustrated that my sample was not tested for alcohol at an earlier stage of these proceedings.

"Given the severity of the charge that I was facing, I would have expected that the alcohol test should have been performed as a matter of routine.

"Had that been the case, I would have been able to establish my innocence at a much earlier stage, I would not have been suspended and the details of this  case would not have become public."

The drugs test was the second MacLeod had failed this year. He also cleared his name the first time after a judicial committee accepted that a positive test in January had been caused by a change in his asthma medicine.

MacLeod was suspended just before the Scotland squad was named for their autumn Test series and he subsequently missed the chance to add to his 21 caps in games against New Zealand, South Africa and Canada.

The SRU has called for an urgent review of protocols over testosterone and questioned whether samples should be routinely analysed for alcohol.