EAST Lancashire MP Greg Pope is calling on England-only sports teams to find a new national anthem to replace God Save the Queen.

The Hyndburn Labour backbencher thinks it is inappropriate for national squads - such as the World Cup-winning rugby team which this week paraded through London with the Webb Ellis trophy - to use the UK national anthem when they play.

Instead he suggested that William Blake's Jerusalem, which celebrates England's "green and pleasant land" would be a suitable alternative.

But a spokesman for the Rugby Football Union said: "The Queen is our patron. We sing God Save the Queen before matches. We intend to continue doing so."

Now Mr Pope has put down a Commons Motion on the issue and expressed particular concern when English soccer and rugby teams play their Scots and Welsh competitors when he feels that God Save the Queen is particularly inappropriate.

Mr Pope has put his Motion down on the Commons Order Paper - Parliament's daily agenda sent to all ministers, MPs and senior civil servants - to try and put pressure on English sporting authorities to come up with the new national song.

The Motion reads: "I note that international sporting events such as football and rugby, Scotland has Flower of Scotland played as its national anthem. I also note that Wales has Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (Land Of My Father) played as its national anthem. But I am disappointed to note that England has God Save the Queen played. I believe that God Save the Queen is appropriate as a national anthem for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland but is not appropriate as the national anthem of England alone.

"And I believe that England should have its own national anthem for sporting events and tentatively suggest that it should be Jerusalem."

Mr Pope added: "I have no problem with using God Save the Queen for UK team at events such as the Olympic Games and World Athletics Championships.

"But I am very concerned that the UK national anthem is used when England play rugby or soccer - particularly against Scotland and Wales."

When England appear in the Commonwealth Games, Land of Hope and Glory is the chosen anthem. Mr Pope added: "I don't think that the rugby song Swing Low Sweet Chariot is a suitable anthem but I am just trying to open the debate."

Scottish-born Pendle MP Gordon Prentice said: "I am right with Greg on this one. Whatever you think of God Save the Queen, it is a UK national anthem, not the English national anthem.

"The English should find something else and Jerusalem is the obvious choice."