Video shows moment mass brawl breaks out at kids boxing event as thugs with knives and axes wreak havoc

Police released footage of the riot which broke out at a sports centre during a kids’ boxing tournament. Video footage (click to play above) shows yobs hurling chairs at people before some of the men ran back to their vehicles to retrieve weapons.

Armed with axes and knives

Twenty-six men then armed themselves with pickaxe handles, axes, knives, and spades. Some started to smash vehicle windows in the car park while others headed back inside to attack the small group of men.

Following a four-year investigation and prosecution involving three police forces, 23 of the yobs have this week been jailed for a total of 48 years. A group of 60 men, mainly travellers, arrived in a convoy of 13 cars and 4x4s on February 15, 2020, before storming the venue.

People desperately ran for cover

The thugs targeted a small group of men inside, initiating a mass violent disorder that lasted 20 minutes. Many of the 300 people inside, including families and young competitors, were seen desperately running for cover at the venue in Ryton, Warks.

Members of the smaller group were cornered in the bar area, where the large group tried to get to them. One victim was forced to the ground where he was kicked, punched, and slashed in the face with a blade. The men then fled the building and drove away in their cars leaving a trail of destruction behind them.

Thugs left trail of destruction

The thugs caused thousands of pounds of damage to the sports centre and the boxing tournament was cancelled. Officers from Warwickshire Police, Metropolitan Police and Thames Valley Police joined forces to identify the troublemakers.

Detective Constable Middleton, of Warwickshire Police, said: “This was a brazen, outrageous incident that saw people injured and would have caused huge distress to hundreds of members of the public who had simply attended a venue to enjoy a sporting event. Why any member of this group thought they would get away with turning a public venue into a warzone is beyond both me and the rest of the team who took part in this investigation. This has been a huge undertaking and I welcome the sentences handed out.”