The future of a knockout graffiti mural at Newhall's The Royal Oak Boxing Club is set to be decided this month (Sept).

George Balfour, who runs the club, commissioned and paid for the eye-catching artwork created by Birmingham-based graffiti artist Andrew Mills, aka Title, of Graffiti by Title.

But the artwork, completed in mid-May, failed to impress South Derbyshire District Council which told the club it needed to apply for advertisement consent for the mural to remain.

Without the retrospective permission the club could face having to paint over the artwork.

A member of the public applied - and paid for - the application and council planning officers are expected to decide whether it will be allowed to stay by the end of this month.

The mural took Andrew, who turned his hobby into a full-time profession 12 years ago, around five days in total to complete.

He told Coalville Nub News: "I have been painting murals since the late 80s and I have never heard of such a thing.

"If the mural could be deemed in anyway offensive perhaps I could understand it.

"But as it features a thank you to the NHS during the coronavirus outbreak, a tribute to local hero and boxing legend Jack Bodell and another tribute to Captain Tom Moore - as a nod of respect for all the work he did to raise money to help good causes in such uncertain times - I feel my work on this mural is purely about positivity and I really cannot understand how anyone can think otherwise."

The artwork, completed in mid-May features a boxing ring and gloves flanked by professional boxer the late Jack Bodell and former British Army officer Captain Tom Moore, who raised millions of pounds for NHS Charities Together in the run-up to his 100th birthday.

An NHS rainbow and a nurse's watch with angel's wings are additional flourishes paying tribute to the unsung heroes of the NHS.