The government is attempting to ban the Ugandan MP who introduced legislation to execute gays from entering the UK.

David Bahati, the MP for Ndorwa West, introduced the anti-homosexuality bill last year.

If it succeeds in parliament in its current form, some homosexuality offences will be punished with the death penalty.

According to the Guardian, civil servants in the Foreign Office, the Department for International Development and the Borders Agency are drawing up plans to block Mr Bahati’s visa if he does not drop the bill.

A senior government source said the issue could become “a major diplomatic incident if the Ugandans do not back down”.

The bill proposes the death penalty for people who have gay sex with minors, disabled people, or while infected with HIV, along with repeat offenders.

Others convicted of homosexual sex will face life imprisonment, up from the current 14 year sentence.

Since it was tabled by Mr Bahati as a private members bill, senior Ugandan politicians have been seen distancing themselves from it after countries such as the UK and US urged against it.

UK prime minister Gordon Brown has criticised it, while US president Barack Obama said it was “odious”.

Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni said several months ago that Uganda had to consider its foreign interests and Mr Bahati himself conceded that he would consider amending some parts of the bill.

Ugandan government officials have suggested it is unlikely to come before parliament before 2011 and observers say this may be a stalling tactic as the country is due to go to the polls in the next year.