The genteel world of pétanque has been rocked by accusations that Belgian players use cocaine to give them a performance-enhancing edge in international matches.

British holidaymakers have long been charmed by the sight of aging players idly tossing their boules on the sun-kissed courts and squares of France.

But two leading Dutch pétanque internationals have sparked outrage in the sport by claiming that Belgian players dope in the hard-fought matches.

“I know enough Belgian players who use coke,” Edward Vinke, 46, told the the Vice sports website. “They go to the toilet and do not throw a wrong ball when they come back. They really feel like the king.”

“I experienced it once,” Kees Koogje, 27, told the website,“We were far ahead and had played flawlessly. Then they went to the bathroom for ten minutes and came back with huge eyes. Everything went well for them.”

The Netherlands and Belgium have a sporting rivalry that historically has been taken far more seriously by the Belgians than the Dutch.

But Gert Quetin, a Belgian champion player and postman, also had his suspicions about cocaine being used on the petanque court.

He said: “They disappear for a moment, then they come back with big eyes and play better. I have already lost matches that way.”