A CHEERLEADING coach has defended a move to ban skimpy outfits and said it would rid girls of their "bimbo" and "airhead" image.

Sarah Williams, coach of Blackburn-based Cheer Valley, is giving her full support to new rules announced by the British Cheerleading Association forcing girls to cover up their midriffs from next year.

The ruling is aimed at boosting self-esteem by putting an end to revealing costumes and sexually provocative dancing.

And 22-year-old Sarah said making the girls wear costumes to cover up their upper torsos was a positive move.

"To be honest I think it's a good thing. We're trying to get rid of the bimbo, airheaded stereotype of a cheerleader and this seems to be a step in the right direction.

"Cheerleading is a sport and includes gymnastics, dance and many difficult skills, not just prancing around with pompoms."

Cheer Valley, formerly known as Hawks Hi-Flyers, was founded in 2001 and has more than 60 members from as young as five years old.

Sarah, a full-time fully qualified coach, revealed her squad does not wear "half tops" and said if she had been forced to wear them she would never have been interested in joining.

However, she admitted adults should be allowed to make their own decisions on the matter.

Cheerleading is considered an athletic discipline and involves 42 nations. In Britain there are 300 clubs and 11,000 participants, 86 per cent of whom are under 18.

BCA Chairman Bob Kiralfy said: "We are doing this in line with the United States and other countries. It is for reasonable reasons."

The news comes after fashion conscious young women who bare their midriffs in the cold were warned earlier this year they are putting their health at risk.

Research showed that heat loss from the abdomen made worse by the current fashion of women wearing cropped tops can affect the body's vital organs and leave people prone to kidney problems.