Former world heavyweight boxing champion David Haye was mobbed by selfie-demanding fans when he arrived at Carshalton College for the opening of a hair academy and salon.

After cutting the ribbon to open the new salon, yesterday Mr Haye posed obligingly with an almost never-ending queue of phone-wielding students and teachers - even MP Tom Brake could not resist squeezing in for a snap.

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The boxer, 34, was at the college as the guest of honour of celebrity hairdresser Aidan Phelan, who was opening the academy.

But despite the pair being friends for years, Mr Haye revealed he went elsewhere for his own style requirements.

He said: "Aidan hasn't braided my hair yet. I might let him do it, but he's got to give me a discount.

"He's always there at my fights supporting me, so I'm here to support him. He's at the top-end of his game.

The Aidan Phelan Academy hopes to inject industry experience into Carshalton College's existing program, with an attached commercial salon giving students a chance to develop their training.

Mr Phelan said he would be teaching at the academy "around twice a month".

Mr Phelan said: "I have travelled the world three times over doing education, and I have always wanted to have my own academy.

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"Hairdressing is one of the only industries in the world where you don't need a license. You can just pick up a pair of scissors and open a salon, and that's why there are a lot of dodgy hairdressers - and that's a problem."

Mr Phelan - famous for, among other things, David Beckham's 2002 "mohawk" haircut - added: "The salon is the bridge between finishing education and being able to walk into a meeting and present yourself."

In a break between selfies, Mr Haye also revealed that he was working on his own academy project for boxing; tight-lipped on details, he spoke tentatively of a mid-2016 announcement.