A petition to stop the deportation of a boxing star - who represented England six times - has garnered nearly 4,000 signatures in three days.

Bilal Fawaz, 29, currently holds the London middleweight boxing title, but has been locked in a detention centre pending deportation to Nigeria .

But despite representing England in the ring, the Home Office has rejected Bilal's numerous applications for residency and declared his marriage to a British citizen void.

He has been held in Tinsley House immigration detention centre in Perimeter Road, South Gatwick, since last Wednesday (November 29) awaiting removal from the country to Nigeria.

A change.org petition "Keep Boxer Kelvin Bilal Fawaz in the UK " has since gathered around 3,800 signatures, after it was set up by Nicholas Prempeh.

He wrote: "Bilal 'Kelvin' Fawaz, who is well known within the amateur boxing circuit, is being held and threatened with deportation back to a country of which he has no family or origin.

"He represented Stonebridge and has also represented England over five times.

"Bilal is an upstanding member of our country who is role to his peers and all young people and has won many accolades such as the prestigious England Boxing Amateur Elite Title."

Bilal with his London title belt

One supporter of the petition, which is to be delivered to the Home Office once it reaches 5,000 signatures, wrote: "He is a talented boxer who I know personally and who has dedicated his life to the sport, people sign and support please!"

And another commented: "It's a disgrace the people we let into our country and then we treat others that have represented our country and help children like this."

getwestlondon contacted the Home Office on Monday (December 11) and a spokesman said: "When someone has no leave to remain in the UK, we expect them to leave the country voluntarily. Where they do not, we will seek to enforce their departure."

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