British boxer has licence suspended for mocking Scott Westgarth death and posting racist and offensive tweets

Tyan Booth posted insensitive comments about Westgarth and Gerald McClellan, who suffered life-changing injuries in a fight with former two-weight world champion Nigel Benn

Tyan Booth has had his licence suspended by the BBBoC (Thomson Reuters)

A boxer who made light of the death of Scott Westgarth has had his professional licence suspended by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC).

Westgarth, 31, died in the early hours of Sunday morning after he collapsed backstage following his points victory over Dec Spelman in Doncaster. His death was announced a day later.

Nottingham’s Tyan Booth, 34, then said on social media: “Some people would enjoy it if I got killed in a boxing ring like Scott Westgarth. Man down.”

The super-middleweight, who has a professional record of 12-11-5, then referenced life-changing injuries suffered by an American boxer in a defeat by Nigel Benn, when he added: “I'm boxing myself in two weeks and I've spent the past three months drinking cider and not training properly so there's a good chance I'll end up in a wheelchair like Gerald McClellan, so tune in.”

Booth’s account features a number of other offensive tweets, including one where he says he is “glad” that McClellan is “deaf, dumb, blind, r******* and in a wheelchair”, as well as racially abusive comments about the British heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.

The BBBoC quickly announced that Booth’s licence had been suspended as a result of his comments, ending his plans to fight next month.

And Booth was criticised by his trainer Dominic Ingle, who commented: “The inappropriate comments tweeted recently by Tyan Booth will be dealt with by the Ingle Gym and BBBofC. He has been asked to remove them.”