Health Secretary Alan Milburn yesterday rejected calls to ban boxing as fighter Paul Ingle remained in a coma following his ill-fated world title bout.

Mr Milburn said the sport should continue as safely as possible after the 28-year-old featherweight was critically injured on Saturday.

However, a Labour backbencher vowed to attempt to remove boxers' legal protection from assault or even murder charges.

Ingle, from Scarborough, remains "critical but stable" in a Sheffield hospital following his collapse during the 12th round of the IBF title fight with South Africa's Mbulelo Botile.

Anti-boxing campaigners, including the British Medical Association, renewed their calls for the sport to be banned in the wake of the tragedy.

But Mr Milburn told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I want to see every possible measure taken to make sure that boxing continues as a sport that is as safe as humanly possible. I have no thoughts of banning."

Last night, Ingle's condition was improving.

Consultant neurosurgeon Robert Battersby, who operated on the boxer to remove a blood clot, said: "He is making good progress. Over the course of the day we have lightened his sedation and he is now making movements which are very encouraging."

Ingle's fiancee, Samantha Coulson, said: "It's important we stay positive as a family and the messages of support and goodwill from all over the world, and from our hometown of Scarborough in particular, have been much appreciated in helping us to do this."

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