Two men cleared of boxer's murder

James Oyebola was a former British heavyweight boxing champion

Two men have been cleared of murdering a former British heavyweight boxing champion in a row over smoking.

James Oyebola, 46, died four days after being shot in the neck and leg at Chateau 6 nightclub in Fulham, south-west London, in July last year.

Rene McKoy, 20, of Battersea, and 24-year-old Dean Francis, of Wandsworth, south London, both walked free from court when the charges were dropped.

Kanyanta Mulenga, 23, denied murdering Mr Oyebola.

Judge Peter Rook ordered the jury to enter formal not guilty verdicts, with respect to Mr McKoy and Mr Francis, when prosecutors dropped the allegations on Thursday.

During the trial, which began at the start of September, jurors heard Mr Oyebola was killed when he asked a group of men to stop smoking.

The murder happened three weeks after the ban on smoking in public places came into force.

Jurors will continue to try Mr Mulenga of Putney, south-west London.