London: Britain's Olympic boxing champion Terry Spinks has died after a long illness at 74.

Spinks, who won an Olympic boxing gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Games in the flyweight division (-51kg), died at his home Friday in Essex just outside London.

"We are very sad Terry has passed away. He was a great boxer and a very nice guy," British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) general secretary Robert Smith was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

The boxer has won 41 of 49 fights before retiring at the early age of 24. His first professional bout was in April 1957 against Jim Loughrey.

Spinks later coached South Korea's boxing team at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. (IANS)