A soldier who led the Army’s world-famous wolfhound Seamus has been sacked after testing positive for class A drugs.

Drummer Ashley Dean was caught after testing positive for cocaine following a compulsory drug test earlier this month.

The soldier had marched with the Irish wolfhound on several high-profile ceremonial events, but was marched into regimental headquarters just days after the positive test to inform him that his services were no longer required in the armed forces.

A source said that Drummer Dean, who served in the Irish Guards, a regiment whose colonel-in-chief is Kate, Princess of Wales, was caught out by a random drug test a few weeks ago, The Sun reports.

He said: "A few Tuesdays ago they did a compulsory drug test and it came back positive for cocaine. He’s just been kicked out for it, they normally try and get you out really quick."

The source added: "He would have been around the royals and foreign leadership figures — he would have been meeting them. I don’t think it’s good for people going around royalty to be doing that, it brings a bad name to the battalion."

The British Army has a zero tolerance on drug use, with mandatory spot checks undertaken regularly to ensure that soldiers are not consuming banned substances.

The matter is taken so seriously that soldier-athletes are issued with supplement guidance similar to that received by professional sports stars and those found to have tested positive are nearly always discharged out of the service.

Drummer Dean served with the band of the Irish Guards, which regularly performs at royal events including tourist favourite Changing the Guard outside Buckingham Palace.

Before she stopped public engagements to have cancer treatment, Kate was often seen stroking the wolfhound and other Army ceremonial dogs

Turlough Mor is the regiment’s 17th official mascot named after an ancient king.

However, he is known affectionately as ‘Seamus’.

The army declined to comment on individual cases but said in a statement: “The Army’s position is clear: substance misuse is incompatible with Army life, and it will never be tolerated.

“Armed Forces employment is unique, and every soldier is expected to live by the Army’s Values and Standards, which is underpinned by the Army Discipline system.

“Service personnel are therefore regularly tested for substance misuse and those who fail a drugs test can expect to be discharged from the Service.”