Jamaican sprinter Steve Mullings was banned for life after being found guilty of a second doping offence.

The 28-year-old was found to have used the banned diuretic furosemide, which can act as a masking agent for other drugs.

He previously served a two-year ban after testing positive for excessive levels of testosterone in 2004.

Mullings, the sixth fastest man of all time over l00 meters, won gold in the 4×100-meter relay at the 2009 World Championships.

Jamaican anti-doping disciplinary panel chairman Lennox Gayle said “the panel believes a clear and strong message must be sent to every athlete in Jamaica and elsewhere that prohibited substances will not be tolerated in sports.”

Gayle added that the panel’s decision recently had been unanimous.

Mullings, who has denied knowingly taking any banned substance, did not attend the hearing.

In 2009 four other male Jamaican athletes, including 2011 world champion Yohan Blake, were suspended for three months after positive tests.

Jamaica’s Olympic 100-meter champion Shelly-Ann Fraser returned from a six-month ban earlier this year after testing positive for banned narcotic oxycodone.