Saido Berahino escapes a West Brom fine

The Baggies will not punish the 21-year-old, after accepting his explanation that the latest image to emerge of him appearing to inhale a 'legal high' is more than a year old.

But Pulis has warned the England Under-21s forward he is a role model, after he was pictured in a national newspaper apparently inhaling nitrous oxide from a balloon for the second time in a year.

Berahino was first caught inhaling the legal drug in a video published by a newspaper last April and was pictured again this week .

It came alongside similar stories involving Liverpool's Raheem Sterling and Villa youngster Jack Grealish.

Head coach Pulis said: "That picture was a year ago. He has been fantastic since I came into the club.

"I've had no problems with him at all and he's played well, and fingers crossed he's going to go to the tournament in the summer with England Under-21s and he will be a big asset to that team.

"If you watch us train, after every session there will be two or three out there and he will be one of them, doing extra work and he's been first class.

"I don't know what (punishment) he faced before but I have certainly not spoken to the kid.

"As soon as I knew it was a picture that had been pulled out from a year ago, I knew it had been dealt with by the club."

Berahino has been involved in a series of off-the-field incidents and will come up against Sterling tomorrow, with Liverpool visiting the Hawthorns.

Grealish is the latest young star to be caught up in the 'laughing gas' story and Pulis says all youngsters must be careful.

He said: "Every professional footballer that plays in this country has a responsibility.

"They are role models to young people, especially now with the Premier League and the coverage they get.

"So they do have a massive responsibility to behave and look after their lives in the right way off the pitch."

But Pulis has praised the attitude of Berahino, who is due to represent England at the Under-21s European Championships in the Czech Republic this summer.

He's scored 18 goals for the Baggies and earned a call-up to Roy Hodgson's full England squad this season.

Pulis said: "The lad is still learning and, with every game he plays in the Premier League, he will get better and better."