Sports bodies back clocks campaign for extra daylight

Sports bodies say the change would leave more time for recreation

Major sporting bodies have backed a campaign to put the clocks forward for an extra hour of daylight all year.

The Football Association, England and Wales Cricket Board and Lawn Tennis Association are among the organisations to have written to Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

They say the move would allow more time for sport, making people healthier.

Their letter supports the Lighter Later campaign which wants the extra hour in addition to the change in summer time.

The FA's Kelly Simmons said: "With over 80% of football played on public land, an extra hour of evening daylight would give the grassroots of the game a huge boost.

"More chance to get outside and play can only be good for the future of football in this country."

'Great boost'

Mike Gatting, director of the England and Wales Cricket Board, said: "'Bad light stops play' is one of the most frustrating sentences you can hear in a cricket context.

"An extra hour of light would help the ECB to deliver its key objective of giving more people the opportunity to play cricket. Very few cricket pitches can afford to have floodlighting so this proposal would be a great boost to our sport."

The campaign was launched in March by a coalition of groups including safety campaigners, tourism organisations, businesses, environmentalists, public health experts and community charities.

A Private Member's Bill, tabled by Conservative MP Rebecca Harris, will go before the House of Commons on 3 December.

It calls for a trial of the time change if a full review of the evidence confirms widespread benefits.

Lighter Later campaign manager Daniel Vockins said: "The polls have shown for years that the public clearly prefer lighter evenings.

"Now, with major backers from the FA to Greenpeace supporting the proposals, MPs have the strongest-ever mandate to vote this bill through in December."