SITTINGBOURNE and Sheppey MP Derek Wyatt has called on the English Cricket Board to boycott the Cricket World Cup in Zimbabwe.

The former England rugby union international launched a campaign before Christmas calling on the International Cricket Council and the English Cricket Board to cancel matches scheduled to take place in Zimbabwe.

He says if the ECB is not prepared to pull the England team out of the competition, the Government should ban them from playing. He said: "They should have the sense not to go."

The Labour MP, who campaigned against rugby tours to South Africa during the apartheid years in the 1980s, says taking part would give credence to president Robert Mugabe's regime.

He stressed: "Many of those who cannot separate international sport from politics and human rights believe that the infringements of human rights in Zimbabwe deserve the same obloquy is that experienced by the former racist regime in South Africa.

"Robert Mugabe is running the nastiest regime you could ever imagine. We should do all we can to bring his discredited Government down. A boycott of any sporting or cultural ties would be a start."

Mr Wyatt has received hundreds of emails of support from across the world since launching his campaign against the World Cup in a national newspaper article last week. He also has the backing from MPs from all political parties.