Boxing star 'devastated' by cocaine video claim

Boxing legend Ricky Hatton was described yesterday as "devastated and distraught" after being secretly filmed allegedly snorting cocaine.

The former world champion, nicknamed the Hitman for his knock-out punching, is alleged to have used "industrial quantities" of the drug by a Sundayn newspaper.

Hatton, 31, who has still to officially retire from the sport following a succession of multi-million pound title fights, was captured in video footage appearing to use a credit card to cut lines of cocaine before snorting them through a rolled-up bank note.

Yesterday his spokesman, Max Clifford, said: "I have spoken to Ricky. He is very upset and very subdued, very flat.

"He feels he's let everybody that matters down badly, his friends, his family, his fans and of course most of all himself, that he is, in his own words, he's been in a bad place for some time, probably before even his last fight, and obviously he's really upset about what has happened but he totally takes responsibility, takes the blame, 'It's all down to me'.

"He just wants to let everybody know how he feels, he's got to sort himself out.

"Friends and family have been trying to warn him, and now they are all hoping this situation will bring him to his senses," Mr Clifford said.

"He feels devastated and we all hope this will be the wake-up call."

Hatton, who has a nine-year-old son and was awarded an MBE in 1997, is now heavily involved in promoting other boxers, having not fought himself for more than a year.