A DISMAYED MP in Worcestershire has hit out at the Russian doping scandal - likening it to "a form of institutional child abuse".

Nigel Huddleston said UK athletes have missed out on medals due to the widespread drug taking, which leaves Russia facing a possible blanket ban for the Rio Olympics.

The Conservative, who represents Mid-Worcestershire, did part of the parliamentary investigation work under his role on the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.

The shocking findings of the McLaren report, released this week, said urine samples of Russian competitors were manipulated across the "vast majority" of summer and winter Olympic sports from late 2011 to August 2015.

The revelation - the biggest case of cheating ever uncovered in competitive sport - has left the country facing disciplinary action, a ban from its sports minister at the Rio games, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) refusing to back any sports events in Russia.

Mr Huddleston was among the cohort of MPs to investigate the doping concerns, which included taking evidence from Lord Sebastian Coe.

He said: "I've known about this problem for quite a while, it's been widely known that there has been doping, but now we can see there is a clear volume of proof.

"So it doesn't come as a surprise to me.

"It's widespread, it's institutional but what struck me was just how young some of these athletes are, that's the shocking thing.

"It's almost a form of institutional child abuse, where these young children are being encouraged to take substances to compete.

"It's basically cheating, and for UK athletes who are clean they've missed out on medals in their careers because others have cheated, it's very serious.

"We look at sports people to be role models, we expect young people to look up at them and if we lose that we've got a real problem."

He added that he felt a total ban on Russia in next month's Olympic games would be unfair, but insisted "heavy testing" on their competitors would be vital while the IOC continues its own probe.

Calls for a blanket ban on Russia - from both the Olympics and Paralympics - followed the publication of the McLaren report on Monday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a statement mixing acceptance, defiance and denial, claiming the report is based on "the testimony of one man with a scandalous reputation", and questioning whether McLaren's findings can be "weighty and trustworthy".