English rugby's senior disciplinary figure tonight promised a full inquiry into racism allegations that have blighted the game so far this year.

Robert Horner made his pledge after a Rugby Football Union disciplinary panel banned Gloucester hooker Olivier Azam and Newcastle flanker Epi Taione for fighting during last month's controversial Zurich Premiership clash between the clubs.

"I am intent that there should be a full and largely independent investigation into all aspects of this match, what created the trouble that led to the sendings-off, what may have been said afterwards, both publicly and privately, and any subsequent comments," said Horner, the RFU's disciplinary officer.

"I think it is right that we should have this inquiry, with the full co-operation of both clubs.

"I hope that inquiry would then give me and the RFU certain recommendations as to whether they think there is any evidence to justify any further disciplinary charges, and more particularly, what the game can and should do in an attempt to prevent a reoccurrence of the problems we've had over the last 14 days.

"The aim is to complete the inquiry as soon as is reasonably possible, but I don't want to prejudice a full and proper job being done by imposing an artificial time limit today when I have not had an opportunity to discuss with anyone the precise nature of the inquiry, and what will be involved."

French international Azam received a five-week ban, backdated to the game on December 29, for striking an opponent, and a concurrent three-week sentence imposed because he spat at Taione.

Azam is now sidelined until February 1, ruling him out of Gloucester's final European Shield group game against La Rochelle on Saturday, their Powergen Cup quarter-final at London Irish and a Shield last-eight clash the following weekend.

Taione, meanwhile, was given a three-week ban for fighting, sidelining him until January 18. Both players were sent off by referee Roy Maybank.

The tribunal took Azam's poor disciplinary record into account when sentencing him. He received a 30-day ban after being sent off for fighting during the France A versus Wales A game in March last year, and was hit with a one-week suspension for being yellow-carded three times last season.

Horner added that he anticipated the inquiry chairman being legally-qualified and from outside the RFU, joined by two other people, one of them possibly being a Zurich Premiership club chief executive.

"The racial allegations will definitely be covered in it, and any other aspects of the match which caused it to turn into, in parts, an unsavoury spectacle and bring the game into disrepute," Horner continued.

"As a result of some of the evidence given today, we now know where to look and where to go. We have more information which enables us to decide the terms of reference of the inquiry, and how best it should be done.

"What has hamstrung me over the past 10 days has been a number of allegations with absolutely no facts behind them. One never knows quite what a full inquiry will reveal. Certainly, we shall get more information and be much further down the road than when we started today.

"But whether they will ever get the full story will depend on the evidence they unearth and the extent they are able to fit it all together into one coherent issue.

"It is a bit like putting the clock back eight centuries to the days of witchcraft, when if someone was accused of being a witch, then they were deemed to be one until they proved themselves innocent.

"We are almost in a position whereby an allegation of racism tends to stick without there being a great deal of evidence behind it, which has been the problem we've had over the last 10 days."

Newcastle boss Rob Andrew claimed Azam racially abused Tongan Taione in the clash between their two clubs last month.

Since then the Falcons have lodged an official complaint with Twickenham, while Gloucester conducted an internal investigation claiming they could find no evidence of racist abuse.

They have banned former fly-half Andrew from their Kingsholm ground, demanded he retract his comments and threatened legal action.

Andrew's racism allegations were not addressed by the disciplinary tribunal that met for almost three hours at a Heathrow hotel.

But the three-man panel of RFU council members - Jeff Blackett, Jeff Probyn and David Hurst - recommended an investigation into Andrew's allegations: "To ensure that the investigation can be objective and untainted, we direct that the matter is sub judice," said the panel's adjudication.

"That means that nobody involved - that is players and officials from either club - should discuss the matters with the press in advance of the publication of the investigation report."

Everyone agreed, including Azam, that the spitting incident was "a disgraceful act."

And summing up, the tribunal's adjudication concluded: "This was a very unsavoury incident which has been detrimental to the professional game.

"Both players should learn from this incident, which does neither of them any credit, and ensure such incidents do not occur again."