LONDON (AP) — Saracens were handed an additional 70-point deduction on Tuesday to ensure the club will be relegated from England's top rugby division for breaking salary-cap regulations.

It was announced this month that the reigning European and English champions would lose their place in the Premiership after failing to prove they were compliant following three seasons' spending above the cap.

Premiership Rugby has now confirmed that, having already docked 35 points in November, Saracens will have 70 more points taken off their total so that the team is guaranteed to finish in last place.

The clarification over the mechanism for Saracens' demotion to the second tier of English rugby means their new points total is minus 77, leaving them 89 adrift of Leicester Tigers in 11th place.

In addition, Premiership Rugby has amended two of its salary-cap regulations in mid-season following unanimous approval of its 13 constituent clubs.

Now, any club can be subjected to a mid-season audit if they are suspected of being in breach of salary cap-regulations, while failure to comply could result in a 70-point deduction.

The announcement came on the day the scandal claimed another victim after Ed Griffiths stepped down with immediate effect from his role as interim chief executive.

Griffiths was 26 days into a 12-month contract that brought him back to club for a second spell, designed to steer it through the crisis.

Saracens chairman Nigel Wray and their former chief executive, Mittesh Velani, have already seen their positions become untenable by the scandal.

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