Bolton's pride after refugee boxer Cindy Ngamba claims place in Olympics history

She might not have been competing for Team GB - but in Greater Manchester, Cindy Ngamba is 'one of our own'. The 25-year-old boxer was born in Cameroon but has lived in the UK since the age of 11, growing up in Bolton.

Ngamba has faced challenges obtaining UK citizenship, where she currently has refugee status. At one point, she was sent to a detention camp with her brother, Kennet, due to a paperwork issue.

As a lesbian, it would be unsafe for Ngamba to return to Cameroon, where homosexuality is illegal. Ngamba has feared being deported as a result - but at the college where she studied, Ngamba is recognised as a big part of the 'Bolton family'. Bill Webster, principal of Bolton College, told the PA news agency: "We think she's part of Bolton."

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Reflecting on the riots which have swept the country in the past two weeks, he added: "Here we have this young woman who's ended up on our shores, who's found a life for herself through her own determination to reach the peak of sporting achievement. At the same time, people are coming up with nonsense about 'send people home'. The mind boggles doesn't it?"

Bolton became one of Greater Manchester's flash points for violence as riots hit the UK last weekend. Protesters and counter-protesters were kept apart by riot police on Sunday (August 4) - but missiles were thrown at police outside the town hall while the groups clashed.

Mr Webster insists those scenes are not a true reflection of 'how close' Bolton is as a community. He said: "It's really, really interesting to see in all the noise that's going on with other things in the country at