Grey-Thompson, who admitted she was a convert to the criminalisation cause, said: “Ten years ago, I wouldn’t have thought of criminalising it. But now, we do need to take those further steps.”
Leading this particular crusade, however, is former sports minister and British Olympic Association chairman Lord Moynihan, who set up the petition of Cameron and Culture Secretary John Whittingdale.
Towards the end of the last parliament, Moynihan also tabled a Governance of Sport Bill in the House of Lords, which included a clause on making doping a criminal offence with a maximum two-year jail term. Moynihan, who argues doping should be treated in the same way as fraud, believes the Government can be convinced to ban it and give powers to UK Anti-Doping to pursue those who work outside of sport but who supply illicit substances to athletes.
If Cameron and George Osborne refuse to act, Moynihan is ready to resurrect the criminal anti-doping clauses from his own bill.
“I very much hope that Government will be taking action to strengthen the powers of UKAD and to put in place the criminalisation of doping along the lines of the German, French and Austrian models,” he said.
“Should that not happen, I will be looking for Home Office bills that would allow me to bring forward the Governance of Sport Bill clauses.” However, it is by no means certain he would succeed in the face of a lack of support from the anti-doping community itself.