The brother of a former boxer killed in a row over smoking turned down big money offers from the nationals to give his only press interview to his local paper.

The Willesden and Brent Times scooped the interview with Kelly Oyebola the week after his brother James’ killer was jailed for life.

Kanyanta Mulenga gunned down nightclub bouncer and former Commonwealth heavyweight boxing champion James after he asked his friends to stop flouting the smoking ban in July last year.

Kelly chose to speak to Lorraine King from the weekly Times despite lucrative offers from national newspapers.

During the interview, which was published in yesterday’s edition and which also features never seen before photographs of James with his family, Kelly said he had forgiven Mulenga.

Kelly, who lives in Dollis Hill, North London, also spoke about his youth mentoring project which he established several years before his brother’s death.

Tim Cole, editor of the Willesden and Brent Times, said: “It is a testament to the great work Lorraine has put in over the past year and the way in which the Willesden & Brent Times is viewed that James Oyebola’s family wanted to talk to her rather than any national newspaper.

“It was a first rate scoop on a story of huge importance to our readers.

“Kelly’s reaction is remarkable, but the mentoring work he is doing dovetails with the newspaper’s philosophy regarding young people in our community,” he added.