An Italian long distance runner is facing disciplinary proceedings for allegedly using a fake penis to beat a dope test.

Devis Licciardi, 27, is said to have used a realistic-looking prosthetic containing uncontaminated urine to give a sample following a 10km road race.

Licciardi, who is an athlete for the Italian Air Force team, was said to have been spotted by marshals at the event using the fake penis.

Officials at the country’s Olympic Committee were immediately informed and he is due to face a disciplinary hearing in Rome tomorrow and faces a potential lengthy ban.

The investigation into Licciardi was launched at the weekend after he ran in a race at Molfetta near Bari in southern Italy.