English Premier League footballers were among 150 sports stars prescribed banned performance-enhancing drugs, a British doctor has claimed in an expose by The Sunday Times newspaper.

The weekly, which has been at the heart of several doping exposes involving international athletics over the last 12 months, claimed London-based anti-ageing doctor Mark Bonar has been under suspicion for two years.

In an undercover operation, the 38-year-old doctor claims to have had a network of "secret clients" which included footballers from Arsenal, Chelsea and Leicester City.

Despite Dr Bonar's claims, the broadsheet was quick to add they have no independent evidence that he treated the players, none of whom are named in the report.

There is also no evidence the clubs were aware of Dr Bonar's relationship with any players or drug use by them.

Dr Bonar, who was filmed covertly, is heard telling reporters he had also worked with an England cricketer, British Tour de France cyclists, a British boxing champion, tennis players and martial arts competitors.

"In the past six years he has treated more than 150 sports people from the UK and abroad variously with banned substances such as erythropoietin (EPO), steroids and human growth hormone, and the sports performance improvements were phenomenal," the report said.

In a bizarre sub-plot, Dr Bonar also claims to have supplied performance-enhancing drugs to two professional ballroom dancers on a television celebrity dance show.

Dr Bonar told the reporters athletes knew about his services through word of mouth.

"I don't really advertise... I don't want that media scrutiny that kind of (thing), you know, coming down on you," he said.

Government demands 'urgent' investigation

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), the agency responsible for protecting British sport from drug abuse, confirmed they were aware of Dr Bonar, but said they had no power to investigate him because it could only investigate athletes and their entourage, including medics, who fall under a sporting governing body.

The agency said it interviewed a sportsman in April and May 2014 who, in hoping to reduce his sanction, provided them with more than 100 names, 69 of which related to sport.

Dr Bonar was among the names and this was the only time he had been brought to their attention, it said.

The sportsman told UKAD that Dr Bonar prescribed him with EPO and testosterone and alleged he was providing performance-enhancing drugs to an unnamed boxer, but he did not provide further evidence that could substantiate such claims.

"UKAD commenced an investigation into Dr Bonar", but found he was not governed by a sport, it said.

Britain's sports minister John Whittingdale said he was "shocked and deeply concerned" by the allegations aired in the newspaper report and has demanded an urgent probe.

"Sports fans are entitled to be sure that what they are watching is true and fair with all athletes competing on a level playing field," the Culture, Media and Sport Secretary said in a statement.

"I have asked for there to be an urgent independent investigation into what action was taken when these allegations were first received and what more needs to be done to ensure that British sport remains clean.

"The Government is already looking at whether existing legislation in this area goes far enough... If it becomes clear that stronger criminal sanctions are needed then we will not hesitate to act."

AFP