Tyson Fury Faces No Police Action Over Comments

World heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury is to be spared a police investigation into claims he committed a hate crime with controversal comments about homosexuality.

A complaint was made to Greater Manchester Police (GMP) after the the fighter reiterated his opposition to homosexuality on a TV show on Tuesday.

The force said the comments had been recorded as a "hate incident" but it was taking no further action against the 27-year-old after interviewing the complainant.

A GMP spokesman said: "The circumstances in which these comments were made suggest that no criminal offence has taken place and this matter will not be investigated any further."

Fury's personal views have been highlighted since he shocked the boxing world by beating Wladimir Klitschko to win the WBA, IBF and WBO belts last month.

Before the fight, he told the Mail On Sunday: "There are only three things that need to be accomplished before the devil comes home: one of them is homosexuality being legal in countries, one of them is abortion and the other one's paedophilia."

Fury also faced criticism for his views on women after a YouTube video emerged in which he said Olympic champion Jessica Ennis "slaps up good".

He added in the clip: "A woman's best place is in the kitchen and on her back - that's my personal belief."

The BBC has resisted calls to remove the boxer from its 12-person Sports Personality of the Year shortlist - despite a petition demanding a ban attracting more than 130,000 signatures.

Fury has defended himself, telling Sky Sports News: "I ain't a homophobe, I ain't a bigot, I ain't a racist and I definitely ain't a sexist, so you've heard it from the horse's mouth.

"If I was, I'd say it to you straight, now. I'd tell the world, 'this is what I am,' cause I don't have anything to hide."

Before GMP announced its decison, human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said he believed a full police investigation was unnecessary, but criticised the BBC.

He said: "The BBC is out of step with sporting professional bodies who say that prejudice has no place in any sport.

"If Fury had made racist comments I am certain that the BBC would have never shortlisted him. This decision smacks of double standards."