British boxing icon Ricky Hatton has died at the age of 46 after his body was found in his home in Greater Manchester on Sunday morning.

Greater Manchester Police has confirmed his death and said that the death is not being treated as suspicious.

A GMP spokesperson said: “Officers were called by a member of the public to attend Bowlacre Road, Hyde, Tameside, at 6:45am today where they found the body of a 46-year-old man. There are not currently believed to be any suspicious circumstances.”

The news comes months after the legendary boxer announced his return to boxing with a fight planned in December.

Hatton was perhaps the most popular British boxer of all-time, with his raucous fanbase regularly travelling across the Atlantic in their thousands to watch him fight the likes of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in some of the biggest bouts in British boxing history.

During his boxing career, he held multiple world championships, as well as UK titles, and was named Fighter of the Year in 2015.

Tributes have flooded in from far and wide including from Tyson Fury, Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan who paid their own tributes to ‘Hitman’, who captured the interest of a generation of fans, even bringing 30,000 of them with him for the huge clash with Floyd Mayweather.  

Andy Burnham Mayor of Great Manchester wrote: “Hard to take this in. Ricky was much loved by so many in Greater Manchester. He was the kind of person who would always turn up for people, supporting so many causes. He made us smile and made us proud. We will find a way of honouring him properly. Rest in peace, Champ”

Hatton, who was awarded an MBE for services to sport in 2007, had been due to be at the Manchester derby on Sunday.