A poll has found that 63 per cent of Brits agree with the former Wimbledon champion Martina Navratilova that transgender women competing in women’s sport are "cheating" because the athletes would have “unfair physical advantages.”

She later apologised, clarifying that she was referring to a” notional case in which someone cynically changes gender, perhaps temporarily, to gain a competitive advantage.” But nearly two thirds of the British public agree with her, according to the survey, compared to 12 percent who disagree and 25 per cent who don’t know.

Men are more supportive of the lesbian tennis star’s stance than women, with 70 per cent of males agreeing with her compared to 56 per cent of females.

The ComRes survey also found that almost half of adults (44 per cent) believe the transgender rights movement has gone too far, compared to 31 per cent who disagree and 25 per cent who don’t know. The survey found agreement broadly decreases with age, with 60 per cent of those aged 65+ opposing the movement compared to 27 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds.