Britain's sports minister offers tax help to Usain Bolt

Bolt outshines rivals at Diamond League meeting in Lausanne

Britain's sports minister has offered to help Usain Bolt sort out the tax issues stopping the Jamaican sprinter from competing in London in August.

Triple Olympic champion Bolt, 23, had been due to run at the Diamond League meeting at Crystal Palace.

But he pulled out on Monday, citing Britain's prohibitive tax laws.

"If there is a particular problem [with Bolt] I'm happy to look at it and see if I can help," Sports Minister Hugh Robertson told BBC Radio.

"I've not had a direct approach from either the sport's governing body [UK Athletics] or the promoters of the Crystal Palace meeting [Fast Track] so I don't know exactly what we are dealing with here.

"It is a problem we have come across and addressed with other sports and clearly if they write to me I will take it up with the treasury.

"Golfers and tennis players have come to me, and I'm pretty sure that at the back end of the 2012 Olympic bill is a commitment not to tax overseas stars who come over to compete in the Olympics."

Robertson, however, added that it might be too late to prevent the 100m and 200m world record holder from taking on rivals Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay at the south London venue.

"I will see what I can do. Three weeks doesn't give us a whole lot of time to organise a tax concession," the sports minister stated.

Athletes competing in the UK are liable for a 50% tax rate on their appearance fee as well as a proportion of their total worldwide earnings - which for Bolt, who earns millions from endorsements, could be hugely costly.