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BBC NI reporter Andy West suspended over Tyson Fury row

He was also investigated by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) after a member of the public reported him for committing a “hate crime”.

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But GMP said they would be taking no further action after interviewing the complainant, although it had lodged the affair as a “hate incident”.

The petition to remove him from the Sports Personality of the Year has amassed 131,000 signatures, with many divided over whether Fury deserves to be in the running.

After journalist Isabel Oakeshott said she was “not offended” by his comments and Tory MP Dominic Grieve said Fury is entitled to his views without being disqualified, Mr Umunna added: “This is not about banning him from expressing a view”. But what I am saying is he’s just beat the heavyweight champion of the world.

Mr West says he has written to the director general, Tony Hall, over Fury’s nomination.

He has not ignored the controversy about his candidacy, however, which included comments about heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill, who he said “slaps up good” and “looks quite fit” in a dress, and that a women’s place is in the kitchen.

It followed a November interview with the Mail On Sunday in which Fury said: “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”. Making me a good cup of tea, that’s what I believe.

“The point I wanted to make was that this is a person, who would be getting an award, who has made incredibly sexist and homophobic comments, would not be getting it if they had made racist comments, so why is this OK?”

“It’s the panel who decided the list and I think the best thing I can do is stay on that list and represent my performances this year”, she said.

“I don’t hate anybody, I’ve said that a thousand times”.

“We’ve got Jamaicans in there, we’ve got Pakistanis in there, we’ve got Indians in there; Christians, Muslims, we’re all united”.

“I love all of God’s children”. What about that? Why don’t they broadcast that?

The glitzy Sports Personality awards bash is to be held in Belfast on December 20, with Northern Ireland heavily involved in covering it.

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Fury struck trouble on two fronts Tuesday Dec. 8, 2015, with a police investigation launched into his comments about homosexuality, and reports that he had been stripped of one of his belts for not facing the mandatory challenger.

Boxing coach calls for Tyson Fury to remain on awards list