Inside Amir Khan's fabulous new wedding venue as boxing champ lifts lid on long-awaited venture

Former boxing champ Amir Khan has shared pictures of his long-awaited luxury wedding venue in Bolton.

The million pound project has been in the making for more than a decade but has faced severe delays as costs have spiralled He received planning permission for the wedding venue, which has been given the name of The Balmayna, in the Deane area of Bolton in 2013.

But in the years that followed, it was repeatedly rocked by setbacks as costs rose to more than £11m.

Initial construction on the site was completed in 2015 but it has since been hit by delays and even damaged by a fire. Earlier this year, it was revealed that the lavish wedding venue was preparing for a 'grand opening' and was said to be taking bookings.

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Mr Khan has now shared images of the venue on social media. In a post on X this week, he wrote: "After blood sweat and tears we present to you #thebalmayna."

The images show a water fountain leading up to the venue's giant glazed entrance which is flanked by huge palm tree-style pillars Inside, enormous chandeliers hang down the hall alongside flowers and other decorations with a river snaking underfoot.

Last month, Mr Khan declared on Instagram that his Bolton wedding and banquet hall is now open. The Balmayna - named after the Arabic word for 'enamelled' - is a project between weddings and events company Excellency Midlands and Mr Khan.

The 37-year-old announced his retirement from the boxing ring in May 2022. Mr Khan had previously revealed how a staggering £5m of his own money had 'gone missing' from the luxury wedding business in Bolton on his BBC reality show Meet the Khans.

Located on Washington Street off Deane Road, the venue was described in planning documents as a banqueting and function hall, restaurant and 'associated facilities', together with car parking. The project has been dubbed a 'garden paradise' venue.

The site is described as a vacant brownfield site within the boundaries of Bolton Enterprise Centre that used to be home to a public swimming pool. The plans reference a ground floor restaurant, an events facility on the first floor and a VIP roof-top cafe.