Simpson (left) with opponent Appleby (right) and promoter Tommy Gilmour

Paul Appleby is the new British featherweight champion after an epic points victory over John Simpson at Glasgow's Kelvin Hall.

The verdict was close, with two judges giving Appleby the fight by a single point and the third by two.

There was also a controversial standing count for Simpson in the fifth round - when he appeared to slip.

But South Queensferry's Appleby held on to win, leaving the Greenock man one defence short of the Lonsdale belt.

After the fight, Appleby insisted that there was nothing controversial about his victory.

"I am not going to lie and say I caught him cleanly," said the champion.

"It was more of a slip, to be honest. I did catch him, and the referee counted it - but regardless of that, I definitely deserved to win.

"I thought I'd won the fight by three or four rounds.

"My manager Tommy Gilmour gave me the nod before the official decision. But I was still nervous, because you need to win it big to beat a champion.

"The judges took their time to deliver a decision, but when I heard it was an unbelievable feeling.

"I can hardly put it into words but I told everyone that I was tough enough to last 12 rounds.

"I trained non-stop for this fight, and that's how I took over the fight from the ninth round onwards."