• Boxing

Tyson banned from entering the UK

ESPN staff
December 10, 2013
Mike Tyson was convicted for rape 21 years ago © AP
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Former boxer Mike Tyson has been forced to cancel appearances in London for his autobiography after finding out he is banned from entering the UK.

The ex-heavyweight champion of the world was set to be in London this week to promote his autobiography Undisputed Truth. However, due to changes to immigration law 12 months ago, the convicted rapist will not be able to enter the country, and instead his tour has been re-routed to Paris.

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David Haye pulled out of his scheduled bout with Tyson Fury twice © Getty Images

Publishers HarperCollins released a statement which read: "There was a change in the UK immigration law in December 2012 of which we were unaware. For this reason Mike had to change location to Paris to salvage his press obligations for the UK."

The 47-year-old was convicted for rape 21 years ago and served three years of his six-year sentence, and immigration rules say that any person who has been sentenced to more than four years in prison are not allowed to enter the country.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "We would not comment on the details of an individual case. We reserve the right to refuse entry to the UK to anyone who is convicted of serious criminal offences.

"In December 2012 we toughened up the rules on entering the UK, replacing the previous discretionary approach with a clearer, stronger framework including mandatory refusals based on the length of, and time since, sentence."

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