The government is considering its next step after being defeated in the House of Lords over its plans to lower the homosexual age of consent.

Peers vote to overturn the proposed legislation on the age of consent

In a fresh challenge to the authority of the Commons, peers from all sides united with bishops to reject the move by 290 votes to 122, for lowering the age of consent from 18 to 16, in line with that for heterosexuals.

The decision sparked furious protests from gay rights activists gathered outside parliament and led to renewed demands for the power of the Lords to be reduced.

And it left ministers with the dilemma of either challenging the Lords and losing other key measures in their keynote Crime and Disorder Bill or abandoning the plan and trying to reintroduce it later.

Gay rights campaigners are concerned that the government may now drop the proposal in order to get the rest of the Crime and Disorder Bill through parliament.

The first signs were that the government will take the least line of resistance by removing the gay sex clause from this bill and bring it back before MPs in the next parliamentary session.

Equal with heterosexuals

The row erupted only days after the Commons backed moves to reduce the legal age of consent for homosexuals to 16 - the same as for heterosexuals.

After a heated debate, MPs supported the change and passed it with a massive majority of 207.

Young: Public opposed

But Tory peer Baroness Young immediately led a fightback, claiming she had the overwhelming support of the public.

"This is clearly not wanted by the public at large," she claimed, insisting many people were "quite fearful about what is happening to society."

She claimed opinion polls show that 70% of the public opposed a lower age of consent for gays.

And she declared: "It is the kind of thing that worries mothers and fathers who have a 16-year-old son and don't want the promotion of homosexuality."

Grave error

Baroness Young: "This is a flawed amendment"

Her cause was backed by the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr George Carey, who said lowering the age of consent for homosexuals would be a "grave error" and morally unhealthy.

Other opponents claimed the move would be the slippery slope towards reducing the age of consent to 14 or lower.

Earlier, Home Office Minister Alun Michael had urged the Lords not the defy the will of the Commons.

But he signalled that ministers might postpone the policy if peers kicked it out.