A euro-MP whose constituency includes Exmouth has backed moves to battle corruption in sport.

The European Parliament has signed off on a declaration and South West MEP Sir Graham Watson said: “It is very depressing that doping, match fixing and illegal gambling still exist at the highest levels of sport.

“As the majority of our sports are administered at a European level, we must find a European strategy. No doubt the embarrassment caused by the recent corruption scandals in FIFA has been discussed in pubs across Exmouth.

“It is a hot topic and I welcome the fact that the UK authorities are taking such a strong stance on the matter, even, at times, in the face of unpopularity as was the case during the recent unopposed re-election of Sepp Blatter.”