SAFE standing should make a return to football in England and Wales and the government are "running out of excuses" for blocking it, according to Welsh Conservatives leader Andrew RT Davies.

Mr Davies has written to the Sports Minister, Tracey Crouch MP, calling on the UK Government to remove restrictions on standing areas in the UK.

He wants to see rail seating - which allows supporters to easily move between sitting and standing - to be properly licensed by UK Government.

Speaking ahead of the new Premier League season, Mr Davies said: "It’s time for legislators and the game’s uber-rich owners to give something back to hard-pressed football supporters.

"This Government has set out its stall as a champion of consumer rights and in any other industry might have intervened already.

"Ultimately, the Government is running out of excuses to block safe standing."

Mr Davies also highlighted the success of a trial at Celtic Park in Scotland last season, and referred to a survey recently carried out that suggested that Liverpool fans - as well as those of other clubs - backed standing at games.

"We were always told that resistance to the campaign was to do with the Hillsborough tragedy, but the inquiry found no evidence at all to blame standing.

"We’ve had a successful trial at Celtic Park and, after last week’s vote, we now know that the overwhelming majority of Liverpool fans back rail seating.

"Legislation governing standing was drafted in a different era, to address a different set of problems and it’s time for politicians to move on and give the people what they want."