Former British boxing champion Anthony Small charged with encouraging acts of terrorism

A former British boxing champion who appeared in a BBC2 documentary about Islam has been charged with a terror offence, police have said.

Anthony Small, from south-east London, won the British and Commonwealth light middleweight titles in 2009 and appeared in the 2016 two-part BBC2's documentary Muslims Like Us.

The 36-year-old has been charged with encouraging acts of terrorism in connection with a video posted on social media in September 2016, say London's Metropolitan Police (Met).

Also known as Abdul Haq Small his arrest follows an investigation by the Met Police's Counter Terrorism Command.

A Scotland Yard statement said: "A 36-year-old man from south-east London is to appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday January 24 charged with a terrorism offence.

"Anthony Small was charged with encouraging acts of terrorism under section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006 in connection with a video posted on social media in September 2016.

"It follows an investigation by the Met's Counter Terrorism Command."

Small, a light middleweight, also fought under the name Sugar Ray Clay Jones Jnr. and won both the British and Commonwealth championships from Matthew Hall at Manchester's MEN Arena in 2009.

The Sunni Muslim, who has now retired from boxing, then defended his titles successfully against Thomas McDonagh in Wigan before being beaten by Sam Webb in Dagenham, Essex, in March 2010.

Having previously expressed extreme views the BBC was criticised when they allowed Small to join 9 other Muslims on the show Muslims Like Us which aired in December 2016.

In 2010 Small took part in a march in Barking, East London, to protest against the British presence in the war in Afghanistan with around 50 other demonstrators who called themselves 'Muslims Against Crusades'.

Small will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday (24 January).