Pubdate: Mon, 31 May 1999 Source: Daily Telegraph (UK) Copyright: of Telegraph Group Limited 1999 Contact: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ Author: Matt Born TABLOID REVEALS NEW DRUG 'EVIDENCE' ABOUT DALLAGLIO The News of the World defended its investigative methods yesterday and claimed to have gathered new evidence of Lawrence Dallaglio's alleged involvement in supplying drugs. The newspaper, which was condemned for its methods of obtaining Dallaglio's "confession" that he had taken and supplied drugs, said the "nightmare of drugs" justified its methods. Dallaglio, 26, resigned the England Rugby Union captaincy last Monday after the paper quoted him as saying that he dealt drugs when he was 18 or 19, took cocaine and ecstasy on a British Lions tour of South Africa in 1997 and hired prostitutes while playing in a seven-a-side tournament in Amsterdam. When his comments were made public, Dallaglio, who is the father of two young children, denied any wrongdoing, saying he lied to impress reporters posing as representatives of a shaving products company seeking to offer him a lucrative sponsorship deal. The newspaper has been criticised for the so-called "honeytrap" it used to secure the scoop, whereby two undercover reporters, one a young woman, gave Dallaglio champagne to drink and encouraged him to talk about drugs. The previous week, the same paper had used a similar "sting" to persuade Tom Parker Bowles to admit to drug-taking. Dallaglio added a fresh twist to the controversy over the weekend by suggesting that reporters may have spiked his drink to get him to talk. But the newspaper defended its investigations, saying its tactics were "undercover not underhand". The paper claimed that the sportsman had acted as a go-between supplying cannabis to fellow schoolboys at Ampleforth, the Roman Catholic school in North Yorkshire. It also claimed that 6ft 4in Dallaglio acted as a minder to drug dealers at the school while a sixth-form student. According to the News of the World, Dallaglio was 16 when he first became involved with drugs, acting as an intermediary between boys in his house at Ampleforth and Antony Booth, a fellow student who ran a drugs ring. Dallaglio responded to the latest allegations by reiterating his previous denial. "I totally stand by the statement I made earlier this week. I have not taken drugs during my rugby career. I have admitted to experimenting with drugs in my youth, which I bitterly regret, however I vigorously refute the suggestion that I have ever dealt in drugs." - --- MAP posted-by: Derek Rea