Mark Prince has spoken on the twentieth anniversary of his son’s murder to lay out his vision of how to help the nation’s young people to achieve their potential as he recalls the day his son dad

The father of murdered teenage footballer Kiyan Prince has told of his desire to meet his son’s killer to help him start a new life.

Mark Prince was just days away from visiting Hannad Hasan in jail where he was serving a life sentence for fatally stabbing his son, 15, who played for Queens Park Rangers’ youth team. But the appointment was cancelled at the last minute by prison bosses and Hasan was last year extradited to his native Somalia.

Kiyan was fatally stabbed trying to break up a fight outside his north London school in May 2006. Since then, Mr Prince, a former WBO and IBF title holder, has dedicated his life to The Kiyan Prince Foundation, which guides young people through boxing.

READ MORE: ‘Broke’ paedophile Gary Glitter’s debt to victim rises £110kREAD MORE: Terror attack survivors demand urgent action to stop use of AI to plan atrocities

On the twentieth anniversary of his son’s murder, Mr Prince is launching a new campaign, The Champions’ Club, which calls for more investment in youth services across the country. Speaking to the Daily Mirror he said: “I was eager to meet the guy who killed my son which sounds strange to some people but to me it makes sense.

“We know the dangers because grief is so impactful it could leave you angry enough to want to hurt someone but I wasn’t that guy. I had processed my grief to the point I wanted to live out what I had taught my son. I taught my son about love and forgiveness, that he was made by a god of love.

“I didn’t realise I would be tested on that subject the way I was. I realised this was my challenge that I had to step up to so I stood up to it and I wanted to do it for my son to show him that everything I showed you in your life now I’m going to demonstrate what it looks like so you can see it even though you’re not here.

“I wanted to be a part of that restorative process for him. Maybe that could have been of some help to him. How powerful is that? That the person that hurt you the most is the person that you reach out to to help? I know it’s hard to understand but it’s too powerful a legacy to shy away from. Because I’m a fighter and I don’t shy away from tough fights, that’s just another tough fight for me and I’ll have the same attitude and I’ll step up.”

Based at the Tottenham Community Sports Centre in Haringey, North London, the KPF has positively impacted over 100,000 young people in England and Wales. Around 80% of those on its Inspiring Future Changes programme were motivated to make positive changes in their lives or to help others in theirs.

Mr Prince has also supported a string of parents including the mum and dad of Harry Pitman, 16, who was fatally stabbed as he waited to watch fireworks over the Thames last New Year’s Eve. He said when Kiyan died all he thought about was “revenge and anger” towards his murderer, who was then 16.

On hearing the news his son had died from a doctor, he punched through a hospital wall, leaving blood on the floor. Mr Prince said: “I’ve never had police trying to restrain me. This is the situation I found myself in. But nobody could restrain me, the rage and the anger that I felt in that moment of my son going and not being able to handle the news. Not being able to deal with the thoughts that came into my head on finding that out. It was a bit much.”

Mr Prince found a way to channel his experiences into supporting parents and young people to realise their potential and give them opportunities. And he is keen to emphasise the positive rather than talking about knife crime and violence.

Mr Prince said: “We’ve been focusing on the potential and futures of our young people, because that’s what they’re hearing. They’re hearing about them, that they have a voice, that there are people who care about them and want to create opportunities to help them to thrive.

“This is what makes KPF stand out and what makes Kiyan Prince’s legacy so powerful and I believe that the public want to back something like that. We have got to have prevention, there’s many disenfranchised people out there and society can help change that.”

In 2024, Mr Prince won the Helen Rollason Award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony, for his work supporting at-risk young people. Research carried out by the Kiyan Prince Foundation and Savanta to mark the 20th anniversary of his death revealed that less than half of young people in Britain feel optimistic about their futures

A poll of 1,016 16 to 24-year-olds found that 49% of respondents are confident about their futures, while three quarters said it is difficult to be a young person in the UK today. Fewer than two in five (37%) believe British young people are “winning” – defined as having the opportunity to achieve their life goals.

Mr Prince, has called on the Government to provide more support to young people who feel “held back by a society which sees them as the problem”. He said: “Through our new campaign, we’re calling for more investment into youth services and want to create our own space, carrying Kiyan’s name, that helps young people feel like winners again.”

In its list of policy asks to the Government, the Kiyan Prince Foundation said youth clubs are a “lifeline” for youngsters who need “structure, safety, community and belief”. The charity said: “Without consistent funding, young people are left to find belonging elsewhere and many turn to gangs. If we are serious about giving young people a chance to win, then we must properly fund the places that make winning possible.”

In August last year, Sir Keir Starmer announced an expansion of youth services which included the promise of £30.5 million to improve youth club infrastructure in areas with the highest levels of child poverty. It formed a package of measures designed to support children the Prime Minister warned are often “isolated in their bedrooms” and spending “much too much time on social media”.

To donate £20 to the Kiyan Prince Foundation and to support the call for more youth clubs in the UK, text CHAMPIONSCLUB to 70490. Text messages will cost the standard network rate plus the £20 donation.

Direct transfers of money to those that need aid, as opposed to using aid to fund programmes such as food or water relief, could help make aid programmes more efficient in the era of aid cuts, a new report has found.

The analysis, which was commissioned by aid body the CALP Network, is based on an analysis of $11.4bn (£8.5bn) in aid spending across some 1,203 programmes, and has been published ahead of a landmark UK summit on the future of international development, The Global Partnerships Conference.

The authors of the report find that direct cash assistance, particularly when offered through local organisations and at significant scale, can help the humanitarian sector reach significantly more people within the shrinking pool of aid funding.

Specifically, they find that cash assistance can enable up to 38 per cent more aid to actually reach people in need, with the findings coming at a time when funding per person in need has fell 35 per cent between 2024 and 2025, the last available statistics.

“At a time when humanitarian needs are rising and aid budgets are under intense pressure, this is not a debate about efficiency for efficiency’s sake,” said Cate Turton, director of the CALP Network.

“Greater efficiency means more families receiving support, more dignity for crisis-affected people and fewer impossible trade-offs in humanitarian response.

“This report gives donors and agencies concrete evidence for reforms we already know work – prioritising cash assistance, investing in locally led delivery, and delivering cash at scale – so aid can reach more people within existing funding.”

Gideon Rabinowitz, director of advocacy at the NGO network Bond, added: “Today’s report highlights that cash assistance works to meet humanitarian needs among communities impacted by conflict and crisis: and works best when led and delivered at scale by local organisations.

“As international aid budgets shrink, there is a need to consider how remaining funds can deliver the best value for marginalised communities worldwide, and for taxpayers.

“Donors including the UK government should now heed the report’s evidence and take action to implement reforms that will facilitate locally led cash assistance delivery, and make every penny of international aid count – and reach the people who need it most.”

Direct cash transfers have increasingly been used by NGOs in humanitarian contexts, with the World Food Programme (WFP) – a UN agency, and the world’s largest humanitarian organisation – doing so as part of its ‘Anticipatory Action’ programme.

In Ethiopia, for example, WFP has been offering cash transfers to pastoral communities ahead of periods of drought, which enable families to purchase food and animal feed, and also to cultivate crops, instead of being largely helpless as their animals succumb to the climate shock.

“The goal is really to reduce the impact on vulnerable populations by saving lives and protecting livelihoods ahead of the shock,” Robert Ackatia-Armah, acting deputy country director for WFP Ethiopia, has previously told The Independent.

“The idea is that we cannot prevent the shock from happening, but we can prevent the humanitarian cost and caseload by intervening in advance,” he added.

There is currently a risk, though, that these programmes are deprioritised as NGOs are forced to cut back on everything except the most critical humanitarian work, such as food relief in famine-prone areas.

Last month, WFP in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) confirmed to The Independent that cash assistance has been cut back in the DRC as the agency has been forced to focus on more other kinds of life-saving humanitarian work.

This article has been produced as part of The Independent’s Rethinking Global Aid project

The head of the Royal College of Nursing is calling for an end to violence against nursing staff

Nurses have said they are just “trying to stay safe” to get through shifts without patients coming to harm, amid warnings of a “deadly mix” of increasingly complex care and widespread vacancies in the profession.

The boss of the Royal College of Nursing will tell the union’s congress on Monday that members face a “torrent of violence, sexual assaults, discrimination and abuse” while they go about their daily work, and she will accuse ministers of failing in the “most basic task” of keeping citizens safe.

Ahead of the gathering, the RCN surveyed more than 13,000 nursing staff across Wales and England about their experiences on their most recent shift. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here

In her speech Professor Nicola Ranger, general secretary and chief executive of the RCN, will say: “Widespread vacancies of registered nurses are always unsafe, but the risk is being compounded by the demands of delivering ever more complex care to an ageing, sicker population, with multiple conditions. It is a deadly mix.

“It is a government’s first priority to keep its citizens safe, but our analysis and the testimony of nursing staff show ministers are too often failing in this most basic task.

“We need a new approach, away from the flawed ‘finger in the wind’ workforce planning which led us here.

“It must be centred on new, sustained investment in the nursing workforce to the level that allows our profession to meet all patients’ needs – now and in the future. Anything else lays the ground for another patient safety disaster.”

Prof Ranger will also use her speech in Liverpool to call for an end to violence against nursing staff.

“There’s a torrent of violence, sexual assaults, discrimination and abuse faced by nursing staff while we provide care,” she is expected to say.

“It’s rising. And it has to be stopped. This is about respect, it’s about fairness and it’s about decency. But these problems run deep. What we see is sex, race and class being held against sections of our workforce. It’s not an equal playing field.”

She is also expected to highlight that nursing continues to “bear the brunt of funding restrictions and budgets cuts” which “makes a hard job even harder”.

In the speech the nurses union boss is expected to say: “It means no matter how far we push ourselves beyond our limits, we can’t make up for having too few staff. That can feel like our failure and we carry that pain home with us, long after our shifts have ended. It’s not our failure. It’s nursing set up to fail.”

In the RCN survey more than three-quarters (79%) of respondents told the union that clinical complexity has increased in the last two years, with one-in-10 saying staffing is at the right level to meet patient needs. More than two-thirds (69%) said the situation is forcing them to make tough decisions on prioritising care.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We greatly value the nursing workforce in Wales and the vital work they do.

“The First Minister has now appointed his cabinet which he has said will have a relentless focus on doing what’s best for Wales. Each minister will be setting out their priorities shortly.”

Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice

Paris Wilson has been convicted along with a gang over her ex-partner’s death.

A dad died in agony after having acid thrown in his face in a vicious ambush. Now his ex-girlfriend and a group of gang members are being sentenced over a crime that ripped a family apart.

Paris Wilson was convicted over her former partner, Danny Cahalane’s death alongside Ramarnee Bakas-Sithole, 23, of London, Abdulrasheed Adedoja, 23, of Neasden, London, and Israel Augustus, 26, of Tottenham, London.

Wilson, 35, helped orchestrate the attack in the middle of the night at the home she once shared with Danny, who suffered horrific injuries to his face and neck. The corrosive burns led to numerous operations as he fought for his life in the hospital, before he died almost three months later – but not before he relayed a message that would bring his killers to justice, reports the Mirror.

While his young daughter slept at their Plymouth home on February 21 of last year, fitness instructor Danny, 38, opened the door at 3:55 am, only to have sulphuric acid hurled in his face. Danny was taken to hospital following the attack. The father-of-two died in hospital on May 3 but before his death he was able to tell cops he believed his drugs “boss” had ordered the fatal attack, jurors were told.

At Winchester Crown Court, Wilson was convicted of his manslaughter along with Ramarnee Bakas-Sithole, 23, of London. Abdulrasheed Adedoja, 23, of Neasden, London, and Israel Augustus, 26, of Tottenham, London, were found guilty of murdering Mr Cahalane.

Jean Mukuna, 24, from Camden, London, has been jailed for 52 months for being the driver in an attempted kidnap of Mr Cahalane on January 19 2025, aimed at recouping his drug debts a month before the fatal attack.

His jail term included the sentence for an offence of the possession of cocaine worth £1,760 with intent to supply. His brother, Arrone Mukuna, 25, also from Camden, was sentenced to 16 months for his role as “back-up” in the attempted kidnap.

At sentencing, the judge, Ms Justice Norton, told them: “This was an offence that required a high degree of planning, it required coordination to ensure everyone was in the right place at the right time.”

Isanah Sungum, 22, of Edmonton, London, was caged for 26 months for being part of the organised crime gang involved in the supply of drugs by supplying a stolen car to the group and arranging transport.

And Jude Hill, 43, of Plymouth, who is the sister-in-law of Mr Cahalane, was sentenced to 32 months in prison after pleading guilty to the supply of cannabis.

The judge went on to say that Hill denied being part of the organised crime gang but said she had “multiple close contacts” with it. The judge added that she had a “management role” in supplying cannabis to the UK from Thailand where she lived part of the time.

Ms Justice Norton told her: “The volumes you were concerned in supplying were considerably more than street-dealing quantities.” Jo Martin KC, prosecuting, told the trial that Mr Cahalane, 38, was targeted because he owed his “boss” in the region of £120,000.

She said this dealer was a man called Ryan Kennedy – with the nickname of Frost – who operated between Thailand, Spain and was currently believed to be in Dubai.

The prosecutor said Mr Kennedy became “incensed” at Mr Cahalane’s “stalling” and failure to repay the money and first of all orchestrated the attempted kidnap attempt on January 19 2025, and then the fatal attack. Ms Martin said Mr Cahalane had been able to speak to police from his hospital bed before he died from his injuries and told them he had built up the debts after one of his junior drug dealers had run off without paying him.

He also stated that he had lost more of the money through gambling. Speaking after his death, Mr Cahalane’s family said in a tribute: “Danny was an outstanding father and son.”

Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google’s preferred sources. Click HERE.

Bernardo Silva was counting his medals. “Since I arrived it has been 20, so it is not bad,” said the Manchester City captain. There may yet be a 21st before he departs, with a Premier League title to pursue.

The 20th was the first and last FA Cup Silva will lift as skipper. In the grand litany of things Pep Guardiola has won, it is unlikely to prove the most memorable, the delectable winner from Antoine Semenyo apart. There was a routine feel to it, but then Guardiola has made winning feel part of the routine.

Even those with the most basic grasp of maths can understand he has an average of two trophies per season in his time at City. Indeed, with 20 honours, he drew level with Bob Paisley, who managed Liverpool for nine years and also won six league titles. Paisley’s three European Cups still put him ahead in one respect, but in terms of a total number of trophies, only Sir Alex Ferguson has more in English football than Guardiola.

Different times provide different contexts; different finances, too, and the record £440,000 fee Paisley paid for Kenny Dalglish sounds quaint when compared with the £430m Guardiola has spent in 2025 and 2026 alone.

Yet a common denominator has been an ability to hoover up prizes even in eras when there has been considerable competition. Paisley faced Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest, Ferguson Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal and Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea. Guardiola helped prevent another genuinely great team, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, from winning more. From Antonio Conte’s Chelsea to Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, there have been worthy rivals. City have not had a monopoly on spending or on fine players. Guardiola has institutionalised winning, in part by warning his charges that it is not guaranteed.

“I always don’t forget but you pretend you are there and then in a few hours you are in the bottom,” he said. “Don’t take it for granted. You start to believe that you are special, you will just win the FA Cup. Special we are not. The moment that we think [that], we will not be in these places.”

There are reasons why City may not forever be in these places: the 115 charges that remain unresolved, the probability that Guardiola will leave, whether this year or next. Managing City, he said on Friday, is “f***ing fun”. On such days, he looks like he is still enjoying it.

The problem for any successor, with Enzo Maresca the likeliest candidate if Guardiola goes now, is that it will be hard to maintain such standards; even with the resources available, the rebuilding job Guardiola has done and the depth of talent that Josko Gvardiol, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rico Lewis and Nico Gonazalez were not even on the bench on Saturday.

Part of Guardiola’s trophy-gathering habit stems from his commitment to every competition. It is why he has won the Carabao Cup a record five times and reached an unprecedented eight successive FA Cup semi-finals and four finals.

That does not always involve naming his strongest side; it does mean Guardiola can find ways to pick a strong enough side to navigate his way through the majority of ties.

An attitude he instilled in players such as Silva transmits to newer arrivals. “When you have top pros who have won it all essentially, you just learn a lot and it rubs off on you a little bit,” said Semenyo, who arrived in January and scored an FA Cup winner in May.

As Saturday showed, City have the ability or mentality required in tight finals. They have won a Carabao Cup and an FA Cup at Chelsea’s expense, the first on penalties, the second 1-0. Arsenal were arguably marginally superior in the first half of March’s League Cup final; City seized the initiative in the second. That ability to sense an opening or win big moments forms part of the DNA of winners; Ferguson and Paisley would recognise it.

Guardiola is the purist whose sides can show grit. “To stick in there and fight like we did is incredible,” said John Stones, who lifted the trophy with Silva, though he was an unused substitute. But he has been there for all 20 trophies. Under Guardiola, City have won an FA Cup, a Carabao Cup and a European Cup 1-0. There is a skill in just doing enough.

It now means more than Guardiola has done more than anyone else, Ferguson excepted. There are storied clubs a century and a half old who have won less than Guardiola has in the last decade. City have 38 trophies – excluding their seven second-tier titles, anyway – of which 18 came in 136 years before Guardiola and 20 in 10 with him. He has normalised it, but this is not normal.

The list aims to celebrate ‘the most magical and important independent gigging institutions across the country’

A Belfast music hall has been named one of the greatest independent music venues in the UK by Time Out.

Time Out Magazine is a guide to the best art and entertainment, food and drink, attractions, hotels and things to do in the world’s greatest cities.

At a time when arts venues are struggling for funding and independent venues are being forced to shut their doors, the list aims to celebrate “the most magical and important independent gigging institutions across the country”.

READ MORE: Two venues giving gig-goers chance to own part of Belfast music historyREAD MORE: Derry Girls star to lead new sitcom Hopley Hall set in the Northern Irish countryside

The iconic Empire Music Hall on Botanic Avenue in South Belfast is the only venue in Northern Ireland to be highlighted by Time Out, with it being highlighted for being “great craic”.

Time Out said: “With a truly stunning pink-red interior featuring velvet chairs, garish wallpaper, and a curtained stage, it’s no surprise that Belfast’s Empire Music Hall is great craic.

“Formerly a Presbyterian church (est. 1874), the venue was overhauled in 1987 and quickly became a central hub for live music and entertainment, welcoming local talents like The Divine Comedy in the ‘90s alongside legends like John Martyn and the Undertones.

“Today’s clientele includes ‘lecture dodging students, old regulars, and passing tourists’ – a mix as eclectic as the decor.”

Stephen Bradley, Entertainment Manager at the Empire Music Hall said: “It’s always nice to get recognition, but Time Out is a legend in terms of nightlife writing, so this means a lot.

“Just reading the Empire’s name alongside the legendary Barrowlands, Albert Hall and Rock City is a great reflection of the hard work our team have put in to keeping Belfast on the gigging map.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our What’s On newsletter

Nat Hardy’s exhibition, ISM – Art with Heart, is now open at Arts Centre Washington and explores her personal journey of addiction and recovery, capturing both the challenges and moments of beauty she has found along the way.

Ms Hardy, winner of the 2024 Spotlight Washington Open Exhibition, said: “I became an alcoholic about five years ago, but I’ve had an unhappy relationship with alcohol for much longer.

Artist Nat Hardy’s new exhibition, ISM – Art with Heart, at Arts Centre Washington explores her personal experiences of alcoholism and recovery through the 12-step programme, (Image: Supplied)

“My piece, The Journey, represents my experiences of using a 12-step programme for recovery.

“Each section chosen reflects my thoughts and feelings in my journey of recovery and how they relate to the 12 steps.

“The mountains and sky relate to future visions.”

A former social worker, Ms Hardy is now a self-taught artist working across multiple mediums including needle felting, wet felting, textiles, watercolours, acrylics and pastels.

Artist Nat Hardy’s new exhibition, ISM – Art with Heart, at Arts Centre Washington explores her personal experiences of alcoholism and recovery through the 12-step programme, (Image: Supplied)

In total, the exhibition features more than 30 pieces.

She describes making art as a therapeutic process.

She said: “I’m neurodiverse and can sometimes just feel overwhelmed.

“But when I’m working on my art, I don’t have to think, I’m in another, better world.

Artist Nat Hardy’s new exhibition, ISM – Art with Heart, at Arts Centre Washington explores her personal experiences of alcoholism and recovery through the 12-step programme, (Image: Supplied)

“There’s such a stigma about alcoholism – people think about brown paper bags and being passed out on a park bench, but it’s not like that.

“It took me to some very dark places, and I was hospitalised before starting my recovery.

“I’m just so grateful that I’m still here and enjoying what I’m doing.”

Colour and the natural world are both central themes in her work.

She said: “Colour plays a central role in my practice, and I am never more at peace than when I am creating.

“Art has supported me throughout my life, and now it forms an essential part of my recovery and self-expression.

“I am passionate about inspiring others to explore creativity, particularly those who believe they ‘can’t do art.’

“My practice runs alongside a 12-step programme, using art as a way to process, question, and make sense of difficult conversations around addiction, trauma, mental health, and healing.

“My work often carries layered meanings and quiet symbolism.

“Rather than offering fixed answers, I aim to create space for the viewer to ask questions and form their own interpretations.”

Matt Blyth, culture and heritage officer at Arts Centre Washington, praised the exhibition.

He said: “Nat’s artwork is stunning and we’re delighted to be hosting her exhibition.

“Her artwork reflects her personality – bold, brave and with great purpose.”

Nat Hardy: ISM – Art with Heart is on display in the main exhibition space at Arts Centre Washington until Saturday, June 6.

PUNTERS backed The Sun’s Save Our Bets campaign in a glorious day out at Hamilton Races.

We teamed up with Sky Bet to sponsor the 4.15 race and bring our bid to protect the punters directly to them.

The government wants to bring in new affordability checks and higher taxes for betting.

Those putting on a bet could soon face having to hand over a P60 or a payslip.

But the move risks putting the squeeze on Britain’s most beloved sports and driving people towards black-market gambler.

Jockey David Allan rode Red Spells Danger to victory in our sponsored race at Hamilton today.

READ MORE ON SAVE OUR BETS

Advertisement

BET CHECKS FURY

Fuming MPs warn Labour’s hated new gambling checks will hammer horseracing

Advertisement

SUE WEEP STAKE

Bookies threaten to SUE gambling watchdog over new affordability checks

Advertisement

But after his triumph on the track the Irvine-born horseback champion, 43, backed our bid to stop the government from punishing the punters.

He said: “If the income starts disappearing from the betting side of it, then obviously income will start coming from racing.

“So it’s not going to be good for racing in the long run.

“And I’ve seen first-hand in India that not through affordability checks, but the government overtaxed the bets over there and the racecourses over there lost three quarters of their income within a week.

“It all went seriously downhill.

“Basically people are going to illegal bookmakers over there, and that’s what’s going to happen here if it carries on.

“If you’re going on the black market, then there’s no legal loophole, no legal way of getting your money. They can just decide not to pay, I suppose, if you’re gambling. But obviously we don’t know that side of the game.

“We’re just here to race. But the punters enjoy it, so hopefully they sort it out and it doesn’t happen and they can keep enjoying racing.

“It’s a sport that the British have now got all over the world. It’s all from racing that started here. So I definitely don’t want to see it go downhill. If anything, it should be going uphill.

“We don’t know the betting side of it, but we don’t want it to go downhill. We all love racing and the punters are the main people in the game. We’ll keep it afloat.”

So it’s bad times really if that does go ahead. So hopefully they sort it out and racing can get better.

And the public were on the same side as the jockey as they gave Save Our Bets their support.

Husband and wife Andrew and Helen McDowall have been coming to the races for 30 years and they reckon the new measures are a step too far.

Helen, 55, said: “I think something like this is very intrusive.

“What people do with their money is none of the government’s business.”

Con Togher, 66, travelled through from Clydebank for a day out at Hamilton and reckons the current system is safer for punters.

He said: “They are better off just leaving things alone. If it’s not broken then why fix it?

“We are already seeing betting shops close down. Putting a bet on isn’t a debt, but that’s not the same with these guys on the street.”

Pal James Watt, 76, added: “I just think things like this are really unfair on the people running the racecourses.”

Bookie John Hamilton fears the figures don’t add up and will only lead to a surge in dodgy bookies taking advantage of the public.

He said: “The government’s figures are ridiculous. They are talking about a cap of £200 each year but people spend more in coffee shops.

“It’s as if they want to check on us when we’re spending any money.

“I have been doing this for 60 years and I have never seen any issues. People come to the races for a day out and to bet responsibly.

“If these do come through then the black market will grow and people will start to really worry about the security of bets.

“I fully agree we should have GambleAware programs and support for people but these measures are far too strong and will chase people away from safe betting.”

Scottish Sun racing columnist Jim Delahunt gave the campaign his backing, adding: “Lots of punters here at Hamilton this afternoon and lots of punters obviously thinking ahead to these affordability checks that the government is threatening to bring in.

“I think most people in racing are pretty much against affordability checks. I certainly would be personally, it’s not something I ever want to do to hand over any personal information to bookmakers.

“I think most punters think the same and I think that’s a problem going forward for the government because if punters are driven away from legal bookmakers they are going to end up in the hands of illegal bookmakers and that’s something that the government surely doesn’t want.”

Celtic were crowned Scottish Premiership champions on the final day of the season after a 3-1 win against Hearts, but the celebrations were marred by fans storming the pitch

Celtic have publicly apologised to Hearts in the wake of the disorder that cast a shadow over Saturday’s thrilling title-deciding clash.

Martin O’Neill’s side battled to a 3-1 win to clinch the Premiership title by just two points ahead of the Jambos.

However, the victory was tainted when fans invaded the pitch following Callum Osmand’s late goal deep into stoppage time.

Hearts players, including skipper Lawrence Shankland, were reportedly attacked during the chaos, with the away side directed to head straight to their team coach still wearing their kit and make their way back to Edinburgh on the advice of police.

The SPFL confirmed that referee Don Robertson chose to complete the match rather than abandon it, though both O’Neill and opposing manager Derek McInnes appeared to be unaware of this call.

Police Scotland have launched a formal investigation and are currently in discussions with Hearts.

Celtic have pledged their full cooperation with the authorities, stressing that the scenes witnessed on the pitch were wholly unacceptable under any circumstances.

A club statement read: “Everyone at the Club congratulates Martin, our players and all our staff on delivering the club’s 56th Scottish league title and a thrilling climax to the season backed by a magnificent support.

“We thank Celtic fans for everything they have done to help the team over the line.

“The club regrets that our victory over Hearts was followed by a number of individuals entering the field of play.

“We again emphasise that there is no justification for this behaviour which, for the vast majority of Celtic supporters, only detracts from the joy of such occasions.

“Celtic will co-operate fully with any investigation and with the SPFL in their own processes.

“We also apologise to Hearts for the situation encountered by their players and staff at the conclusion of the game, and for the fact that these events prevented them from saluting their own supporters at the end of an enthralling campaign, to which they have contributed so much.”

Click here to sign up to our sport newsletter, bringing you the latest sports news, headlines and top stories