An Olympic athlete has walked into a police station in Leeds and asked for asylum in the UK.

It is understood the male competitor turned up at the Bridewell Police Station, in the city centre.

The man is believed to have entered Britain as a legitimate member of the Olympic squad of an East African country and is having his application processed in the normal way after police passed the case to the UK Border Agency (UKBA)

A number of countries have training camps in Yorkshire, the largest being the Chinese team in Leeds.

A British Home Office spokesman said he could not comment on individual cases.

He said it was expected that all athletes taking part in the Games would leave when their accreditation expires and any applications for asylum would be dealt with according to standard immigration procedures.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said asylum applications were a matter for the UKBA.

Details of the case were revealed in the Daily Mail.