by political editor Paul Francis

Sports minister and Kent MP Hugh Roberston says he is concerned gay athletes feel uncomfortable about coming out in public.

He said that while sports clubs and governing bodies were indicating a willingness to act on homophobia, especially from spectators, too few were actually taking any action.

"I do think that it is concerning that sportsmen and women feel unable to be honest about their sexuality while they are competing for fear of reprisals - either from people inside the sport or more importantly from crowds.

"It is a personal matter and their maybe people who feel they do not want to talk about it while they are competing at a high level and that is fine," he said.

"The worry is that quite a lot of sports bodies have sent out the right signals but there does not appear to be much action on the ground to bring it about."

"i'm always struck, and in a sense slightly appalled by the number of people who finish their sporting careers and then come out, but don't feel that they are confident to do so while playing sport at a very high standard" – sports minister hugh robertson

The Faversham and Mid Kent MP recently told a reception hosted by the Speaker of the House of Commons for the StandUp foundation, which supports gay men and women and transexuals that he was "slighly appalled" that so few athletes had come out.

"I'm always struck, and in a sense slightly appalled by the number of people who finish their sporting careers and then come out, but don't feel that they are confident to do so while playing sport at a very high standard," he told the reception.

The number of athletes who competed in the London Olympics compared to the number who had been prepared to say they were gay "tells you quite a story."

He went on to stress the importance of role models in ensuring gay sports people could come out and for crowds to be conditioned so athletes who did "don't feel they are going to be on the receiving end of vile homophobic, or other abuse, if they take that extraordinary and courageous [step]."

Former Leeds United footballer Robbie Rogers recently announced he was "stepping away" from football after announcing he is gay.

He is only the third footballer to publicly declare his homosexuality.