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Boxer Amir Khan has falsely claimed coronavirus is "man-made" in a series of bizarre social media rants wrongly linking the outbreak to 5G.

The former champion, from Bolton but has family links to the West Midlands, took to Instagram to share spurious beliefs with fans - beliefs totally dismissed as 'rubbish' by scientists and medics.

He bizarrely claimed the virus was created by the government as a means of population control amid the building of new 5G towers, The Mirror reports.

Despite scientists and medics totally discrediting the theory, Khan commented on the timing of 5G towers erected at the same time as the UK lockdown.

The 33-year-old said: "I don't think it's coming from China. That's a lie, really. People are saying that they were eating bats and snakes and the poison mixed. What b*****t is that? Do you believe that? I don’t.

“Coronavirus this, coronavirus that – you’re probably getting bored of it, as I am. Do you not think it’s anything to do with that 5G in these towers that are going up?

“It’s a man-made thing. It’s been put there for a reason – while they test 5G. It might be for population control – get rid of a lot of us, especially when they say that it harms old people.

"Look at these towers at night-time that have been put up, then telling people not to go out.”

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The news comes after a 70ft tall phone mast went up in flames in Birmingham - days after fake claims that 5G was linked to cornavirus emerged.

Eight firefighters were called to the EE structure 'well alight' on Spring Road in Tyseley at 8.18pm on Thursday, April 2.

West Midlands Police also attended to block off the road while the flames were tackled for over an hour.

Neither emergency service was able to confirm the fire was deliberate, whilst they would not be drawn on any link to fake social media posts claiming 5G was causing Covid-19.

The spurious conspiracy has been totally dismissed and criticised nationally.

NHS England's national medical director Stephen Powis slammed the theory, however, saying: "The 5G story is complete and utter rubbish, it's nonsense, it's the worst kind of fake news.

"The reality is the mobile phone networks are absolutely critical to all of us, especially when we're at home and unable to see families and friends.

"I am absolutely outraged and disgusted that people would be taking action against the infrastructure we need to get through this crisis."