Police to quiz Tyson Fury over controversy

Greater Manchester Police has received a complaint about an alleged ‘hate crime’ and will be taking a statement from the world heavyweight champion who lives in Hest Bank.

A GMP spokesman said the complainant, reported to be Ian Sawyer from Manchester, contacted them after watching Tyson’s uncle and trainer being interviewed on BBC’s The Victoria Derbyshire Show about his nephew’s views.

There has been widespread outrage over comments made by Tyson, 27.

They stem from an interview he gave to The Mail on Sunday’s Oliver Holt weeks before his title victory over Wladimir Klitschko where the deeply religious boxer quoted from The Bible’s teachings about homosexuality, abortion and paedophilia - saying all three “need to be accomplished before the Devil comes home”.

Many have accused him of comparing homosexuality to paedophilia, which Fury has denied.

Scott Cuthbertson, a Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) campaigner from Scotland, started an online petition to have Fury removed from the shortlist for BBC Sports Persionality of the Year which has been signed by more than 122,000 people.

The BBC has stood firm over its panel’s decision to put Tyson on the 12-strong shortlist, saying his selection was made due to his sporting achievements.

The Sports Personality of the Year ceremony will be held in Belfast on December 20 and broadcast live on BBC1.

On Wednesday, the Sports Journalists’ Association (SJA) withdrew its invitation to Fury to attend the British Sports Awards in London on December 17.

The SJA said in a statement: “The officers of the SJA took the decision reluctantly, since the British Sports Awards seek to recognise the year’s great sporting achievements, which include Fury’s heavyweight world title win.

“But the decision was made as a consequence of threats made by Fury against at least one sports journalist, an SJA member, who has written about the boxer’s repugnant comments on homosexuality and women.”

It is believed the decision was taken because Fury said his brother Shane would ‘break Oliver Holt’s jaw’ in an online video days before the Klitschko fight.

Mail journalist Holt is the son of actor Eileen Derbyshire, who plays Emily Bishop in Coronation Street.

The British Boxing Board of Control was also meeting for talks on Tyson’s comments on Wednesday.

On The Victoria Derbyshire Show, Peter Fury said of his nephew: “He gives his opinions. He’s not a robot. There is freedom of speech in 2015.

“If he’s offensive he needs to explain his actions and move on from there.

“He’s not giving his own opinion, he’s going off what the scriptures say.

“A lot of what Tyson says can be read the wrong way.

“Paedophilia is nothing like homosexuality. If it’s coming out exactly like that, I think there needs be some sort of redress.”

Tyson appeared on The Jeremy Vine Show on Radio 2 on Monday where he debated his opinions with Scott Cuthbertson and human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell.

The boxer said: “I didn’t say I have a problem with homosexuals or abortion, I didn’t say I hate lesbians or gay people.

“I don’t hate anybody. My lord and my saviour Jesus Christ does not hate anybody. The only thing I have for people is love. Tyson Fury loves his fellow human beings. I have no say on anybody else’s life. Who am I to judge?

“I’m a natural born sinner, we all are. I ain’t no special person.

“I don’t think that homosexuals are like paedophiles. That is not what I said. Two adults consenting to have sex with each other is nothing like an adult messing with a child. Everybody who’s got a brain knows that.”