Image caption Chris Brown was also sentenced to five years' probation

US singer Chris Brown has been forced to postpone his UK tour after being denied a visa to enter the country, it has been confirmed.

Brown was refused permission on the grounds of being guilty of a serious criminal offence, the Home Office said.

He was sentenced to a community service order for assaulting his ex-girlfriend, singer Rihanna, last February.

The musician was due to play three UK concerts, starting in Glasgow on Wednesday night.

Two further dates in London, Birmingham and Manchester had also been planned, along with a concert in Cork in the Irish Republic which has been shelved too.

Tour promoters SJM confirmed the concerts have been postponed "due to unforeseen circumstances".

They advised concert-goers to hold onto their tickets as there would be "possible re-arranged dates".

Sony Music also confirmed that the singer's tour has been postponed "due to issues surrounding his work visa".

"Chris looks forward to performing for his fans abroad in the near future and thanks them for their continued support," it added.

Brown had posted on his Twitter feed that he had been denied entry to the UK, but the entries were subsequently removed.

In a statement, the Home Office said: "We reserve the right to refuse entry to the UK to anyone guilty of a serious criminal offence. Public safety is one of our primary concerns.

"Each application to enter the UK is considered on its individual merits," it added.