Folkestone and Hythe MP Damian Collins has backed a call from former Premier League star Robbie Savage to allow youth sports to continue during the national lockdown this month.

The former Wales international, who played for Leicester, Derby and Birmingham, has started an online petition calling for supervised sports to continue despite the additional restrictions announced by the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson , on Saturday.

The ex-professional, who is now a TV and radio pundit, said: "Sport is important for the physical and mental health and well-being of young people and since the summer it has been shown that team sports can be organised in a Covid-secure way.

"The government is keeping schools open during the proposed lockdown from November 5 to December 2 and we would ask that they also allow structured and supervised youth teams sports to continue as well."

Launched on Sunday afternoon, the petition attracted more than 500 supporters within two hours of being launched.

Commenting on the petition, Kent MP Damian Collins, former Digital, Culture, Media and Sport chair, said: "I support this where supervised sports can be delivered in a Covid secure setting."

On Saturday, the Conservative politician had tweeted: "The government is right to keep schools open, but we should also maintain grassroots youth sport which is so important to the physical and mental health of young people, and can be delivered in a Covid secure way."

Mr Collins and other MPs have now penned a letter to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in support of allowing youth sports to continue.

Among the co-signers are Chatham and Aylesford MP Tracey Crouch and Maidstone and The Weald MP Helen Grant.

It starts by supporting the move to keep schools open, before adding: "However, since the summer, millions of young people have seen benefits to their physical and mental health from the return of grassroots sport in their communities.

"Coaches, students, and their families have observed new Covid secure guidelines to facilitate this.

"We would ask that outdoor youth sports, inclduing team sports like football, should be allowed to continue under the existing Covid guidelines after November 5."

The letter also requests that Under-18 training facilities for elite clubs can remain open."

To sign the petition click here .

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