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'I hope he gets help before cocaine destroys him': Boxer friend of Ricky Hatton exposes his drug use after alleged 10-hour binge

Former boxing world champion Ricky Hatton has been filmed apparently taking cocaine in a ten-hour drink and drugs binge.

Hatton, an MBE, was secretly recorded snorting seven lines of the illegal drug in a Manchester hotel room.

The 31-year-old is clearly seen taking a wrap from his shoe, pouring the white powder it contains onto a table top, then snorting the contents.

Hatton, who lives with his fiance Jennifer Dooley in the city, was filmed for the News Of The World two weeks ago by his friend Emma Bowe.

Speaking of her decision to give her story to the tabloid the Irish national senior women's boxing champion said: 'I'm doing this for Ricky's own good.

'I hope he gets help and advice before cocaine destroys him.'

The 29-year-old flew from Dublin to Manchester to attend a cage fighting event with Hatton.

But the night descended into a three-session coke-binge fuelled by beer, wine, spirits and Sambuca.

Bowe said the night began well with fans clamouring to speak to the fighter.

'There was a wedding function taking place and everyone descended on Ricky, plaguing him for photographs and autographs,' she said. 'After another two pints of Guinness we left for the fight and we got the same reception there.'

It was at the second venue Bowe started to notice Hatton acting strangely.

'Security men ushered us to a ringside seat and the event was being televised by Sky but Ricky seemed agitated and kept saying, "Stay with me! Don't leave my side!"'

As well as becoming increasingly paranoid as the evening continued, the boxer went to the toilets at least four times in the space of two hours, according to Bowe.

'Now I suspect he was taking coke because when he came back he was very alert and perky,' she said.

After the fight, Hatton allegedly downed more pints of Guinness before the pair got a taxi to nightclub Suburbia.

But the boxer insisted they go back to the hotel room on route, Bowes claims.

'Ricky told me he had something to do in the bathroom. That's when he went inside and snorted a line of cocaine off the toilet lid.'

Although disappointed, Bowes has seen evidence Hatton was using the drug before.

'I'd seen him nearly a year ago in Dublin and saw him accidentally produce a cocaine wrap when he was fiddling about trying to find his hotel key,' she said. 'My suspicions were confirmed.

'Anyway he left the bathroom door wide open and I saw everything while I was touching up my make-up. He used the hard end of a Clinique tube to cut up the powder.'

Watching the scene, Bowe was 'dumbstruck'.

'Ricky was my hero and to see him abusing drugs was such a letdown. He was a real role model. I didn't expect that of him.'

Regardless of her shock, the pair left Bowe's room and resumed their journey to the nightclub, where Ricky continued to drink more alcohol.

The two boxers had a pleasant night until the cocaine, it seems, made Hatton 'turn funny'.

'He kept asking people where I was and told them he was going back to the hotel.

'I jumped into the next taxi and found him standing on the steps of my hotel.

'I told him I'd just got caught up in conversation with the fighters and their wives and he seemed okay about it. But it told me how paranoid he has become'

Back in Howe's hotel room, the debauchery continued with Hatton laying out three huge lines of cocaine - 'really industrial quantities', says Bowe.

'Then he rolled up a £20 note, put it to his nose and snorted up three lines of cocaine, one after the other,' she said.

These claims are sure to humiliate Hatton, who was said to be planning a comeback and renewed his boxing licence in July.

Having made more than £30million in his boxing career, father-of-one Hatton does not need the money.

But Britainâ??s most popular boxer was said to be embarrassed by the manner of his last defeat, a two-round knockout against Manny Pacquiao in Vegas last year.

He is not the only champion boxer to be caught taking cocaine this year.

In March Joe Calzaghe was exposed as a cocaine user.

He admitted he was seeking help to stop taking the drug and apologised for his behaviour.

In a statement he said: â??I am fully aware of the bad example it sets to other people and particularly to youngsters and I apologise to my family, friends and fans.'

Hatton has yet to respond to allegations he is a cocaine user

Indurrago wrote:The most ironic part is how he was exposed by a "friend".