Qatar has taken 'real steps' for safety of gay fans, says foreign secretary

Qatar has taken "real steps" to ensure the safety of gay fans attending the World Cup, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has said.

Mr Cleverley told the BBC he had had "difficult conversations" with Qatari counterparts and had been clear how seriously the UK takes the issue.

The build-up to the tournament has seen concerns raised over LGBT as well as broader human rights in Qatar.

Homosexuality remains illegal under the country's laws.

Mr Cleverly has just returned from Qatar, where he met with British police and consular officials as well as ministers from the Qatari government.

He is the most senior British minister to attend the World Cup so far.

Asked whether Qatar was safe for gay fans, he said gay rights was an issue he had "brought up over a number of years" while working with the hosts in preparation for the event.

"I've made it clear that we feel very strongly about this issue and actually one of the advantages about having a strong relationship with other countries is you can have these difficult conversations," he said.

"The Qataris know how seriously we take this issue and they have taken real steps to ensure that gay football fans are safe and do feel secure and can enjoy the football."

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Mr Cleverly was asked whether he thought fans should be allowed to wear rainbow hats in support of LGBT rights while attending games.

Fans attending Wales' match against the United States on Monday, including former women's team captain Laura McAllister, reported being told to remove the hats ahead of the game.

Ms McAllister later said the behaviour of officials at the game had been "pretty heavy handed" and "quite intimidating".

Mr Cleverly said that the "rules for what goes on in the stadia" were a matter for Fifa and the football authorities.

Speaking to LBC ahead of the tournament, he called on fans to "please... be respectful of the host nation" and show "a little bit of flex and compromise".

Asked by the BBC whether the economic and security benefits of the UK's relationship with Qatar were more important than promoting its values abroad, he said it was a "completely artificial choice".

"The values underpin everything we do," he said. "At no point in [the conversations I recently had with my Qatari opposite number] did we bring up any of the kind of economic or commercial stuff.

"This was about ensuring that the English and Welsh fans going over to enjoy the football were safe and happy and that they enjoyed themselves whilst watching the tournament."