Rugby: Scrumhalf Mike Phillips has been suspended indefinitely from the Wales squad after photographs of him being restrained by security staff outside a Cardiff city centre McDonald's restaurant were published.

The 28-year-old, capped 52 times for Wales, has been banned "with immediate effect" by the WRU.

A statement read: "The Wales management team will take time to consider circumstances surrounding recent allegations about the player's behaviour in public whilst on an agreed holiday period from pre-Rugby World Cup training.

"Phillips has been told not to report to WRU headquarters at the National Centre of Excellence this Monday - the pre-ordained start date of his personal training regime - and will remain outside of the squad until further notice."

Phillips, who moved from Ospreys to French side Bayonne this week, was not charged after the incident despite police being called to the scene.

However, WRU chief executive Roger Lewis, quoted on www.walesonline.co.uk, said: “Mike Phillips is an exceptional player but there is irrefutable evidence of a prima facie nature that he was engaged in behaviour which falls below the standards we set.

“It is vitally important that we send out a clear and unambiguous message to one and all concerning our views on matters of this sort,”

Wales team manager Alan Phillips added: “We have suspended Mike Phillips on the clear evidence of a level of behaviour we regard as unacceptable.

“It is clear there has been a breach of our disciplinary standards.”

The suspension has been approved by head coach Warren Gatland, who has called Cardiff Blues scrumhalf Lloyd Williams into his squad.