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Hartley dropped from England World Cup training squad

England's Dylan Hartley sits on the field after being defeated by Wales 30 - 3 during their Six Nations international rugby union match at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, March 16, 2013. REUTERS/Rebecca Naden (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) - Controversial hooker Dylan Hartley has been dropped from England's World Cup training squad after his latest disciplinary misdemeanour, the Rugby Football Union announced on Friday. Hartley received a four-week ban on Wednesday for headbutting Jamie George of Saracens in Northampton's Premiership playoff match last weekend. The suspension would cut across England's warm-up matches in August and the opening World Cup fixture against Fiji, and coach Stuart Lancaster has decided to do without him. “We are obviously very disappointed with the situation that Dylan has put himself in and where that leaves us as a squad. I have spoken to him and he knows he has let himself and everyone down," said Lancaster. "It also goes without saying that we need all our players to be able to control their discipline and make good decisions under pressure the World Cup will clearly require this, and Dylan has not clearly displayed this in this latest incident." England are already without the Leicester centre Manu Tuilagi, who was omitted after being found guilty of assaulting two female police officers. The New Zealand-born Hartley's list of previous offences includes biting, gouging, swearing at a referee and elbowing and punching. He has 66 caps.