North-East News
Fracas deals boxing event a knockout blow
8:00am Monday 13th February 2012
A COMMUNITY boxing club has insisted it had nothing to do with a disturbance which brought one of its events to a premature end.
More than a dozen police vehicles responded to an incident at Tindale Crescent Workingmen’s Club, near Bishop Auckland, on Saturday afternoon, where Bishop Auckland Boxing Club was holding a tournament for its young members.
A fracas is thought have broken out after some unidentified people entered the building.
The incident spilled out onto the street.
The disturbance is believed to have lasted only a few minutes, but boxing club organisers decided to cancel the tournament after only the second bout to ensure the safety of its members. No one was thought to have been injured, but many of the younger club members were left distressed by the incident.
The tournament was taking place to celebrate a recent £10,000 grant given to the club by local councillors to fund new washroom facilities for its growing number of female members and to replace old equipment.
The popular club has dozens of members aged 11 and above and its headquarters are based at Murphy Crescent, on the Woodhouse Close Estate, in Bishop Auckland.
A club spokesman said: “This incident was nothing to do with Bishop Auckland Boxing Club, its members or their families. It has spoilt a show which we had worked so hard for and had been organising for months.
“It was heartbreaking taking the ring down so early and half of the kids were in tears – they have spent months training for this. This will affect us financially as well because we have spent money on things like raffle prizes.”
Police said there did not appear to be any link between the boxing club and the trouble, but their inquiries were continuing. Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111.