‘It’s crawling with rats,’ say neighbours of Amir Khan’s £11.5m ‘Dubai-style’ wedding venue surrounded by rubbish
FUMING neighbours have slammed Amir Khan’s £11.5million “Dubai-style” wedding venue – claiming it’s “crawling with rats” and surrounded by mountains of rubbish.
The former world champion boxer, 37, is set to open the Balmayna building in his hometown Bolton next month.
But residents say the venue is already a magnet for fly-tipping, with the alleyway next to it left in a “disgusting” state.
Snaps show dirty mattresses, fridges, settees, wheelie bins packed with rubble and bags of rubbish dumped behind neighbours’ homes.
Local shopkeeper Abdura Wadiya, 56, said: “It’s been a nightmare.
“People come and just dump rubbish and we’ve had a lot of rats everywhere.
“There’s been a ton of rubbish outside my shop in the alley.”
Adbura added: “I spoke to Amir Khan about it and he said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll sort it’.
“And it looks like he has. He’s a good man.”
Bolton Council workers were clearing the alleyway when The Sun visited.
Team boss Clive Haslam said: “We struggled to drive a van down here when we arrived as there was so much debris.
“Fridges, beds, settees, wheelie bins full of bricks and all sorts have been dumped here.
“It’s not actually the council’s responsibility – but we were asked to come, so we did.”
THAT’S RUBBISH
Shopkeeper Rebaz Chalabe, 43, said: “It’s taken a long time to build – more than seven years.
“But it looks good and will be good for the area. I have been inside and seen it.
“It looks magnificent and will be a great place to get married.
“Hopefully it will be good for my shop with lots more people in the area.”
Rebaz added: “The only problem has been the rubbish.
“You get people coming from miles away dumping all their rubbish.
“It has become a real fly-tipping hotspot and a problem for everyone.
“But hopefully Amir will put up CCTV cameras and fingers crossed that will stop people.”
Neighbour Baber Sayed’s house backs onto the rubbish-filled alleyway.
Baber, 52, said: “The rubbish has been a real problem – and I worry about all the traffic when the venue opens.
“There will be a lot of cars coming here.”
BOXED OFF
Khan’s glass-fronted wedding venue looms above neighbouring homes.
The £11.5million building is lined with palm trees and boasts its own waterfall.
But some locals have said that the building looks it belongs to Dubai, not Bolton.
A spokesman for the Balmayna said: “With immense joy, the wait is nearly over.
“We will soon unveil the grand opening of The Balmayna, Bolton’s newest wedding haven.
“A splendid project between Excellency Midlands and Amir Khan, where elegance seamlessly meets excellence.”
‘TOUCH OF MAGNIFICENCE’
Khan, who splits his time between Bolton and Dubai, is set to open the luxury venue next month.
It’s said to be the “brainchild” of the boxer, who is married to and has three children with Pakistani-American YouTuber Faryal Makhdoom.
The venue’s website says the site will be able to host “a wedding like no other in the UK” and promises it will exceed expectations.
It reads: “This wedding venue is the brainchild of Amir Khan, the world champion boxer, ensuring a touch of magnificence and excellence in every celebration.”
Khan rose to fame after claiming silver at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
The now-37-year-old lost to Kell Brook in a catchweight bout in Manchester in 2022 – but was later banned for two years for testing positive for Ostarine.
Amir Khan's business empire
WITH a fortune estimated to be worth £40million, Khan has made some shrewd decisions for a life after boxing.
His reality show Meet the Khans: Big in Bolton gave us a glimpse into his world with wife Faryal Makhdoom and their family.
Khan is also the co-owner of India’s Super Fight League, which has attracted hundreds of millions of viewers.
He also founded the Super Boxing League in India, which boasts a multi-million TV deal with Sony ESPN.
The former world champion has launched his own promotion company called Khan Promotions.
Khan’s first signing as a promoter was English amateur champion Tal Singh.
And he will have his pick of local fighters from Bolton and Peterborough, as well as its surrounding areas thanks to his boxing gym, the Amir Khan Academy.
Khan also launched his academy in Islamabad with the aim of training Pakistani amateur boxers to compete in future Olympics.