Boxing heavyweight champion Tyson Fury faces fresh drugs probe

He recently reclaimed the WBC world title belt against Deontay Wilder (Image: REUTERS)

Tyson Fury is facing a fresh investigation into his failed drugs test in 2015 after a farmer alleged he was offered £25,000 to lie and cover for the heavyweight champion.

Fury and cousin Hughie were given backdated two-year drugs bans after testing positive for elevated levels of banned steroid nandrolone in February 2015.

The pair blamed the elevated levels of the substance on eating uncastrated wild boar or contaminated supplements and insisted they never intentionally cheated.

But Lancashire farmer Martin Carefoot has now alleged to the Mail on Sunday that he was asked to lie about supplying wild boar to the Furys having never done so and offered £25,000 for his services, which he was never paid.

Carefoot claims he signed two witness statements confirming he had been the supplier to the pair, which were both forwarded to UKAD via lawyers.

UKAD have now promised to review any potential evidence and launch a fresh investigation if necessary as they urged anyone with further information on the claims to contact them.

A statement from UKAD to The Mail on Sunday read: "We will always review any potential evidence in relation to any anti-doping offence, and take investigatory action where necessary.

"If anyone has information that could be of interest to UKAD and its investigations on any matter, we urge them to contact us."

Fury tested positive in February 2015 but had beaten Wladimir Klitschko to become world heavyweight champion by the time he was charged by UKAD 16 months later.

Carefoot alleges he was visited by a member of Fury's team in November 2016 and asked to lie about supplying the meat products, signing two witness statements including one with a line which read: "I supplied a range of animal meats and offal to Team Fury, including wild boar and pigs".

Carefoot told the Mail on Sunday: "I have never kept wild boar. I have never killed a wild boar.

"I just went along with it, and they always dangled this carrot that I was going to get paid. When things got quite serious, they offered me a sum of money before it went to court in London, and a sum of money after. I went along with them because, I suppose, in my own way I was just helping them out.

"I feel sick of the lies and deceit and the public need to know the truth."

UKAD spent close to £600,000 on the investigation into Fury, which was settled by a compromise before being heard by a National Anti-Doping Panel in December 2017.

Fury's management team, MTK Global, declined to comment on the allegations but promoter Frank Warren told the Mail on Sunday: "Back then, I was not promoting Tyson.

"These allegations are totally unfounded and libellous."