Tyson Fury says suicidal thoughts drove him to cocaine

Reigning world heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury has admitted to taking "lots of cocaine" in recent months in order to cope with mental health issues, hitting out at "hatred for Travellers and gypsies around the world" for forcing him into a negative mindset.

In a revealing interview with Rolling Stone magazine, which Fury called his "first and last" on the matter, the 28-year-old, opened up about his heavy drug use and suicidal thoughts.

The boxer, who is from the Traveller community, also shared a video showing racist comments he has received online, as well as messages saying that he should die.

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"I don't want to live anymore," he told Rolling Stone. "And if I could take me own life – and I wasn't a Christian – I'd take it in a second. I just hope someone kills me before I kill me self. I'll have to spend eternity in hell. I don’t know if I’m going to see the year out, to be honest."

Fury recently failed a drug test, and earlier this week he appeared to announce his retirement on Twitter, before insisting that he would continue to fight.

The fighter, who beat Wladimir Klitschko at the end of last year to claim his heavyweight titles, called his drug use "a little minor thing compared to not wanting to live anymore". He said he had only begun to take cocaine in recent months.

"Listen, I've done a lot of things in my life," he said. "I've done lots of cocaine. Lots of it. Why shouldn't I take cocaine? It's my life isn't it? I can do what I want. Yeah, I have done cocaine. Plenty of people have done cocaine as well."

Fury claimed that he has been drug-free since 1 October and is now trying to put his demons behind him.

"I just want time alone with my family," he said. "I'm going through a lot of personal demons."