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The head of a new 'integrity group' set up to co-ordinate anti-corruption policy among the UK’s sporting governing bodies has warned that too many sports are ignoring the problem.

Tim Lamb, the chief executive of the Central Council for Physical Recreation and interim chairman of the Sports Betting Group, claims that while the larger governing bodies have made significant progress in the fight against corruption, smaller sports are lagging behind, reports the Daily Telegraph.

"We would like to think there could be a model set of policies and procedures which all sports could sign up to, while recognising the circumstances are different in each sport," Lamb said.

"But we really do feel that there are some governing bodies who are putting their head in the sand and thinking that it is not an issue for them and they don't want to worry about it.

"We've all heard of the allegations going on in snooker, in darts and even in bowls, for goodness' sake.

"It seems that more and more sports, particularly with the growth of online betting and the explosion of the betting industry generally, need to be mindful of the risks of corrupt practices."

Lamb added: "We have to do everything we can to ensure that sport in this country is clean because once you give the perception to the public that they are not watching a fair contest, your sport is dead."