Liverpool's controversial sponsorship deal with Tibet Water Resources has ended.

Nearly 90,000 people signed a petition calling on the club to cut their ties with the company who became their official water partner in China last summer.

The ECHO understands that the contract hasn't been terminated but it was a one-year regional partnership which expired at the end of July and a renewal was never on the cards.

Tibet campaign groups had accused Tibet Water Resources of exploiting the natural resources of the region.

They also paraded a billboard through the streets of Anfield prior to the game against Manchester City back in January to highlight the suffering of Tibetans under Chinese rule. They claimed that Liverpool's sponsorship deal effectively condoned that treatment - something the Reds always vehemently denied.

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Gloria Montgomery, head of advocacy and campaigns at the Tibet Society, said: “This is a massive victory for Tibetans and the nearly 90,000 people globally who called on Liverpool FC to ditch the deal."

John Jones, campaign and advocacy manager at Free Tibet, added: “We are thrilled to learn that Liverpool FC and Tibet Water have parted ways. A company that exploits the resources of an occupied and oppressed people is not a viable partner."