Drug-test dodgers urged to follow Radcliffe

"That's why I applaud the actions of Paula who put her tests into the public domain."

From a total of 664 out-of-competition tests for athletes during the last 12 months, 69 athletes were not available.

Most sports do not yet carry out-of-competition testing and athletics is the biggest programme in British sport. The vast majority test competitors at events or matches.

But in other sports which do out-of-competition testing there was a similar trend.

Twenty-five from a total of 214 tests in weightlifting resulted in non-availability with 11 from 167 in powerlifting and three from 39 in rugby union.

Verroken's calls for greater transparency were backed by UK Sport's chief executive Richard Calicott.

He said: "I have always been delighted with Paula's stance and it's worth remembering that she is not alone in athletics. All we are after is total openness and accountability from our athletes."

One solution being considered by UK Sport in an effort to reduce the number of no shows is an innovative text-messaging system which will allow athletes to notify testers when they are not going to be at their registered address.

Calicott added: "If it is a breakdown in communications which is causing this problem of non-availability then maybe we need to introduce a mechanism which makes it easier for athletes to tell us where they are going to be.

"We need to know if this problem is down to the system or whether athletes are trying to avoid tests.

"We have talked to a couple of telephone companies who have put forward proposals which we are considering.

"The system would allow athletes to tell us when they are going away and when they will be back and cut out a lot of hassle."

Overall, this year's report shows the number of reported findings of banned substances (not always the same as a doping offence) being returned by British sportsmen and women has fallen even though there were 607 more tests than in 2000-2001. The number of reported findings fell to 101 from 110.

Athletics, normally the most controversial sport for doping, produced only five reported findings this year but in each case no disciplinary action was taken. UK Sport accepted explanations that the substances detected were legitimate medicinal treatments.

Other sports did have problems, however, with rugby league and powerlifting the biggest offenders. There were 296 tests of rugby league players and, of these, there were 18 positive.

Of the six out-of-competition tests carried out in rugby league, four detected banned anabolic agents and one other found traces of marijuana. Five other rugby league players tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone or excess testosterone and a further six for the stimulant ephedrine.

In powerlifting, another sport which has traditionally created problems for anti-doping authorities, 192 tests produced 15 positive findings.

That contrasts with 1,207 tests on footballers which returned just five positive findings: two for marijuana, two for tranquillisers and one for an excessive level of alcohol.