The BBC's Sports Personality of the Year awards ceremony in Belfast has been picketed by a group of equal-rights campaigners in protest at Tyson Fury's controversial inclusion on the nominees list.
© Getty Images
The boxer, who in November defeated Wladimir Klitschko to become world heavyweight champion, has been criticised for comments in an interview where he compared homosexuality and abortion to paedophilia.
Fury also sparked outrage by saying that "a woman's best place is on her back" and remarking of fellow SPOTY nominee Jessica Ennis-Hill: "When she's got a dress on she looks quite fit."
According to The Independent, a group of around 30 protestors gathered outside the SSE Arena tonight holding banners and chanting slogans such as "Anti-woman, anti-gay, Tyson Fury go away" and "Tyson Fury hear us clear, we don't want your bigotry here".
More than 130,000 people signed a petition to call for Fury to be removed from the shortlist for the prestigious award but the BBC insisted that his nomination would stand.
Fury declined to give any interviews on the red carpet as he arrived for the awards earlier this evening.
Neil Wilkes
