DROITWICH'S MP has been grilling Lord Coe on blood doping in sport - asking him if he "regretted" taking on the task of running world athletics.

Nigel Huddleston sits on parliament's culture, media and sport select committee, which is taking on some hugely high profile work.

As well as exploring the future of the BBC the committee is tasked with investigating the alleged athletics drug taking scandal following revelations made in The Sunday Times.

Lord Coe, president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), appeared before MPs yesterday to take questions.

Mr Huddleston, who represents Mid-Worcestershire, asked him about "education in doping" and what was being done to keep new athletes on the right path.

Lord Coe said: "It is really important we have a shift of culture.

"We have to be alert to the malign influences there are on young athletes, not just from coaches but from the entourage - doctors, team officials, friends, family.

"We need to make sure we are also creating a route map for them, and we need them to understand they can still do that cleanly.

"This is about trust and confidence, parents have a very large influence in the sport their children take up.

"No parent is going to nudge their child to a sport that they think is full of junkies."

Mr Huddleston then cited an independent report suggesting that within the federation "the acceptance of cheating at all levels is widespread and of longstanding."

Lord Coe said he did not "accept or recognise that remotely", adding that a small handful of cases are being investigated by police.

The Conservative MP also questioned him on having "any regrets" running the body, with Lord Coe saying: "Not for one moment, this has been a sport that has been very good to me.

"The only reason I am sitting here is that I started life as an athlete."

The committee launched its inquiry after allegations the IAAF failed to follow up test results from some prominent athletes that raised suspicions about blood doping.

Earlier this summer The Sunday Times published details of a leaked document commissioned in 2011 by the World Anti-Doping Agency suggesting between 29 and 45 per cent of athletes under examination may have been cheating.

Lord Coe was appointed vice-chairman of the IAAF in 2007 and elected president earlier this year.

Russia has since been banned from international events after the anti-doping agency reported what it called 'alleged state-sponsored doping'.