YOU might not associate pigeon racing with Mike Tyson but the boxing powerhouse homed in on East Heckington last week to meet an expert in the field.

Villager Darren Peters received the shock news that the controversial ex-heavyweight champion wanted to pick his brains about the arcane sport.

And last week 'Iron Mike', along with bodyguards and manager, swooped on Mr Peters' home off the A17.

Mr Peters explained: "It was organised through a friend of mine.

"He said 'I've got this guy who wants to see your pigeon sheds' so I asked him who and he said 'Mike Tyson' – I thought he was having a laugh.

"He was here for about two hours and at the end had to be told by his manager to hurry up because he was wanting to see everything we've got here.

"He told me it was the best pigeon coop he'd ever seen."

Mr Peters' pigeon sheds are far from run-of-the-mill.

State-of-the-art technology allows droppings from the birds to be quickly and cleanly removed via a conveyer belt system and the sheds' overall appearance is that of a modern office space, costing Mr Peters a cool £50,000.

Mr Peters added: "Since he's retired from boxing he has started to concentrate more on pigeons.

"In fact, he didn't really talk about boxing at all – just pigeons.

"He said his first ever fight as a youngster was over a pigeon."

This is not the first time famous sporting stars have descended on Mr Peters' home. Former football hard man Duncan Ferguson and boxer Paul Smith jnr have both made flying visits.

Pigeon racing is in Mr Peters' blood. He has kept them since he was a boy and has competed and won in numerous racing events all over the world.