Rec favourite Duncan Bell has spoken of the damage inflicted on Bath Rugby by the close season drugs crisis that resulted in four players leaving the club.

The prop says the sudden exits of Michael Lipman, Alex Crockett and Andrew Higgins just before they were due to appear before an internal disciplinary hearing, as well as the abrupt departure of former Wallaby Justin Harrison, were "devastating".

But Bell says the club has already succeeded in putting the crisis behind it – and believes the ordeal has brought squad members closer together.

Harrison, Lipman, Crockett and Higgins were charged by the RFU two weeks ago with taking prohibited substances and refusing to take drugs tests. The latter trio "vigorously" deny the allegations.

While admitting that the drugs crisis had been a sucker punch to Bath Rugby, Bell believes there is a silver lining to the dark cloud that has been hovering over The Rec.

"There's been a pretty devastating effect over the last six weeks or so," said the 34-year-old tighthead.

"I try not to be too cliched, but it's made us a much tighter-knit bunch of guys. We've pulled together.

"We had a meeting on the first day of pre-season. We decided we were going to draw a line under things.

"Things have happened and we can't change what's happened."

Bell also believes the events of the past two months will act as a spur for Bath 2009-10 campaign.

"Unfortunately, Bath Rugby's name has been dragged a little bit through the mud and we have to right the wrongs," he said. "We want to make headlines for rugby reasons and for nothing else."