A GREENOCK racist who abused a cricket umpire during a match in the town last month has been banned from the sport for life.

Ronald (Ronnie) McGregor admitted a charge of 'acting in a racially aggravated manner which caused or was intended to cause alarm or distress' to Majid Haq when the scorer called the former Scotland international a 'cheating P**i' during Greenock's game against Stenhousemuir at Glenpark on August 12.

McGregor, 64, was convicted at Greenock Sheriff Court earlier this month after the hearing was told that he claimed the vile insult was a 'factual term' when confronted by the victim.

Following an investigation by the independent Conduct in Sport Panel (CISP), McGregor, of West Blackhall Street, has now been handed a lifetime ban from attending further matches in the country.

Responding to the verdict, a statement from the sport's governing body, Cricket Scotland, read: "In determining sanctions, the panel found no mitigatory features in the incident, noted that Mr McGregor refused to engage in the disciplinary process, and in his only email response to Cricket Scotland exhibited no remorse or culpability.

"The panel considered Mr McGregor’s behaviour to be at the highest end of conduct covered."

READ MORE: Racist claimed he used 'factual term' after abusing Greenock cricket umpire

McGregor has a week to appeal the sanction.

Cricket Scotland chief executive, Pete Fitzboydon, said: “Racism, and those who demonstrate discriminatory behaviour, have no place in our sport.

"Cricket can be one of the greatest forces for bringing communities together, and the vast majority is played without incident.

READ MORE: 'Ugly stain on our sport': Cricket Scotland responds to Greenock racism conviction

"Unfortunately, a small minority of people continue to demonstrate their racist and bigoted views in our game. Any racist incident is one too many.

“Cricket Scotland’s focus remains on preventing incidents from occurring by helping the sport to become anti-racist; however, appropriate sanctions for any perpetrators are extremely important.

"While the Conduct in Sport Panel is rightly independent from Cricket Scotland, this lifetime ban reassures me that they regard racism with the same level of condemnation that the governing body does.”