Boxing superstar Tyson Fury has confirmed that he's moved away from Morecambe and explained the shocking reason why he made the decision.
The heavyweight celebrity said his family's home had been targeted by "nutjobs" and he had to move for safety reasons.
Fury, who fights Arslanbek Makhmudov in London tonight (April 11), is originally from Manchester but set up home in the Morecambe and Lancaster area more than 15 years ago.
'The Gypsy King' and his wife Paris raised their seven children here, and were very much part of life in the resort.
But late last year, it was reported that they had bought a new home in the Isle of Man.
Tyson Fury stares down with his opponent on Saturday night, Arslanbek Makhmudov. Photo: Gold Star Promotions
And in widely reported remarks this week, he said: "When people know where you live, you can be targeted at any time, so now I have moved and my address is confidential.
"Sometimes you can just be in a place too long and everybody knows where you live.
"I had to disconnect my intercom on the gates because every weekend I had crackpots and drunk people ringing the doorbell and asking for Tyson.
"The final straw was when I had a lunatic come over my gates, 40-foot gates and I've got an attack dog. I've got everything. The police came and he said: 'I'm here to be adopted by Tyson and Paris (Fury's wife)'.
"The man was about 35-years-old and he was saying that we were going to adopt him. He was wearing a dressing gown and pyjamas. When the police asked where he came from, he said London and that he was here to visit his father and mother. This man could have had a knife on him, or anything.
"I wasn't home. I was at the gym and Paris phoned me going nuts and then it was actually one of our neighbours who saw someone climbing over the bins and she phoned the police.
Tyson pictured at the Winter Gardens in Morecambe shooting a promo video in 2022
"But that wasn't the only one. I've had a million nut jobs at my place. One time there was a guy and he was dressed in shells, all seashells – from head-to-toe – looked like an absolute lunatic. He said God sent him to speak to me.
"But my manager Spencer (Brown) offered him 20 quid and he grabbed it and vanished.
"These people are innocent but when is it going to be one who isn’t innocent?
“I’m not down about it, I lived in Morecambe for 20 years, so it was time for a change.
“I looked at moving abroad, far away, but it turned out that the Isle of Man is the perfect place for me – English speaking, English pound notes.
“I can go and get an English newspaper from the local petrol station with my coffee and speak my own lingo.”
Fury's comments this week were reported in several national and international media sources, including The Mail, The Mirror, ESPN, The Independent and ITV.
In an interview with The Daily Mail, he also said that "a win over Makhmudov will send me straight back to the Isle of Man" after being away training in Thailand for months.
Tyson pictured at a press conference held at Morecambe Football Club in 2024
Fury was living and training at his late uncle Hughie's home in Skerton, Lancaster, before he first moved to a house in Morecambe around 15 years ago.
The Furys later moved to Hest Bank just outside the resort, before moving to their most recent home in Heaton-with-Oxcliffe, not far from Morecambe Football Club.
Tyson also set up a gym on the football club complex, and bought land there which is used for five-a-side football.
The 6ft 9in former world heavyweight champion became an adopted son of Morecambe, and could often be seen in local supermarkets, shops, cafes or pubs, or taking rubbish to the Salt Ayre tip.
Fury's superstar status also brought the eyes of the world to our little seaside town on many occasions, including for his hit reality show 'At Home with the Furys' and a press conference held at Morecambe FC for his undisputed title fight with Oleksandr Usyk in 2024 attended by the world's media.
Tyson being photographed by a fan on Morecambe Promenade during 'At Home with the Furys'
He was also announced as being from Morecambe when he came to the ring for his biggest fights, watched by millions globally.
Tourists would also visit the town hoping to catch a glimpse of 'The Gypsy King' on his regular jogs on the Promenade.
Recently the Fury family returned to Morecambe for Tyson and Paris' daughter Venezuela's hen party, held at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium, and are expected to make regular trips back in future.
After a brief period of retirement from boxing, Fury returns to the ring tonight to fight the giant Russian Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Football Stadium.
The fight will be shown on Netflix and screened in many pubs around the Lancaster and Morecambe area.
A second series of 'At Home with the Furys' - featuring footage shot in Morecambe - will premiere on Netflix on Sunday, April 12.
Read more: Morecambe FC hosts hen party for Tyson Fury's daughter Venezuela - Beyond Radio
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