It has foxed so-called boffins for years, but for those who regularly step up to the oche, there is no mystery.

Darts - sport or not?

"Yes," say players and fans, but still "no" says the Sports Council.

Since becoming Colchester's MP, Bob Russell has entered the debate and for many months has called for the ancient game of arrows to be properly recognised as a sport, not a pastime.

His campaign has seen questions asked on the floor of the Commons, Early Day Motions tabled and calls for public support.

And now, in the light of a new decision to recognise chess as a sport, he is going for the bullseye again

Mr Russell said: "It's the total injustice of it. I'm not a particularly avid darts fan but absolutely everyone sees it as a sport apart from the Sports Council.

"Where does the Evening Gazette put its darts results? On the sports pages of course, not in news. Where does the TV show its darts coverage? On its sports programmes.

"It is daft darts is not recognised when idiot sports like beach volleyball or synchronised swimming do get recognition."

He has been flooded with support from players, including former British champion Bobby George, who lives at Ardleigh, and darts historian Patrick Chaplin, of Norfolk Road, Maldon.

He has asked three written questions of Sports Minister Tony Banks calling for the game to be recognised as a sport as well as asking for the names of those 112 pastimes which are already named as sports.

He added: "Darts is missing out on so much by not having proper recognition. It can't apply for lottery grants and will certainly never have the prestige of being an Olympic sport if that recognition doesn't come."

Liberal Democrat Mr Russell is also planning to submit an Early Day Motion criticising the referee of Colchester United's big game against Manchester City for holding play up for more than a minute until he received the thumbs up from a Sky TV official.

He said it was "a worrying trend" that television was dictating sport more and more.

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