A boxing show scrapped because convicted rapist Mike Tyson was heading the event has been moved to a different venue.

Brighton and Hove City Council cancelled the amateur boxing show at The Brighton Centre last week after an outcry from women's groups, city councillors and MPs.

Now organisers have announced they are moving the event to a private golf club near Crawley and will not be removing Tyson from the bill.

Hove boxing coach and Tyson's security guard Scott Welch, who is helping to organise the event said he thought the women's groups were out for publicity.

But the campaigners said they were saddened the event's promoters had not listened to their concerns.

Gail Grey is chief executive of the Brighton Women's Refuge Project, which runs shelters across Sussex.

She said: "I think Mid Sussex District Council should be putting some pressure on the promoters not to hold the event.

"The promoters are basically ignoring what has been said to them by the women's groups."

In 1992, Tyson, now 39, was convicted of rape and served three years in jail. In 1997, he was fined £3 million and banned from boxing for a year after biting a chunk out of boxer Evander Holyfield's ear.

Scott Welch and Lee Greenwood have defended their decision to keep Tyson on the bill for the event, which will now be held at Effingham Park Golf Club in Copthorne, near Crawley, on Friday, March 24.

Other big boxing names such as Frank Bruno and Steve Collins will also be speaking or presenting trophies but they said they particularly wanted Tyson because he would be a good example to children from deprived backgrounds.

Mr Welch said: "These kids are coming from rough backgrounds.

They think if this guy can rise up and earn £300 million then so can I.

"But Tyson has also lost £300 million, which will make them think, what an idiot."

David Lepper, MP for Brighton Pavilion, has written to Home Secretary Charles Clarke asking if Tyson can be banned from entering the country.

He said: "It does no good to boxing to have Tyson as a role model for the sport. The idea of him being at an event encouraging young boxers is obscene."

Janie Brasshill, from Brighton, is the Amateur Boxing Association's women's middleweight champion.

She said: "Whether people like it or not, he's an icon and an inspiration to young people.

"As a woman, I can most certainly understand how sensitive an issue it is. But to me, growing up, he was one of the boxing greats and he always will be."

The golf club did not wish to comment and the council said it would be inappropriate to comment as it was a private venue.