A BOXING event to raise money for terminally ill children has been KO’d under controversial circumstances.

Plans for 24 amateur fighters to take to the ring at Kendal Leisure Centre suffered a body blow when the venue refused to let it to happen – despite apparently confirming the booking.

It has left the boxers, who have already raised hundreds of pounds for charity, feeling ‘disappointed’ and ‘frustrated’.

MORE TOP STORIES:

The White Collar Gladiators company organises amateur bouts around the country in aid of Promise Dreams, a charity that helps to provide desperately ill children with their final wish.

Organiser Steve Logan, 53, has already raised more than £70,000 for Promise Dreams and said he was ‘very surprised’ that the Kendal event was cancelled as he described the public’s response to it as ‘the best ever’.

A statement from Kendal Leisure Centre, run by North Country Leisure, said that ‘there was never a booking’ and that Mr Logan did not pay the required 25 per cent deposit.

However, The Westmorland Gazette has acquired emails between the leisure centre’s duty manager and Mr Logan, the first line of which states: “Confirmation that you are booked in on April 30.”

Mr Logan says he was never asked for a deposit at any stage.

After receiving confirmation and putting tickets on sale for £20 each, Mr Logan was asked to attend a meeting with the centre manager, which he claims he was in the process of organising when Cumbria Police contacted him and the venue raising concerns.

Mr Logan, who has been organising martial art and boxing events for 20 years, said he was then informed that the event would not go ahead.

He said: “It was booked at the leisure centre because I have an email from them confirming it. The next thing is the guy there said he had concerns. I eventually spoke to the police and it’s like they put a block on it.

“So I wanted to move it to Ulverston’s Coronation Hall to show nothing would go wrong but then the police phoned and asked me where I was planning on hosting it.

“I told the police officer, then an hour later the venue spoke to me and told me I couldn’t do it. I think the venues are cancelling it based on what the police say and that means I’m just wasting my time.”

A spokesperson for Cumbria Police said that the force ‘can confirm that they have not cancelled this event’ but that ‘officers raised concerns with the proposed venues’.

According to the police statement, the concerns were about public health and safety and crime and disorder. It said there was also no event plan but added that the final decision on whether the event went ahead rested with the venue.

However, police went on to say that they would be willing to work with the organiser and ‘support appropriately’ if a risk assessment and plan addressing concerns was put together.

But both the event organiser and the boxers involved think the police and venues’ concerns have no foundation.

Boxer Daniel Davis, 33, from Kendal, had raised close to £200 for Promise Dream by the time it was called-off.

“It’s disappointing for it to be cancelled,” he said. “I think the police think that everyone involved would be trouble. The majority of people fighting have criminal records but we are all mates now and it was this event that brought us all together.

“It got us all talking and everyone sorted out their differences because people that didn’t see eye to eye were training together.

“It gave everyone the chance to do something good and put things right.”

Steven Finch, 23, of Burneside Road, said: “It feels like all our effort has been wasted. Some of the lads have got a bad past in Kendal but they’re trying to show that they can do something good for a brilliant cause.

“Everyone put their past behind them and was having a right laugh. A lot of people taking part have families and they weren’t going to get themselves into trouble over this.”

Another participant, Lee Evans, from Flookburgh, said: “It’s frustrating that it’s cancelled, especially when it’s for charity. Everyone had been in good spirits and the police had nothing to worry about.”

And Kyle Wilson, of Hawkshead, who was also due to fight, said: “I can understand where the police are coming from but it’s a charity event and it’s boxing – not a street fight.

“As regards crowd control, it would be shameful if anyone did anything wrong and people would have to be a very low calibre of human to do that. “Everyone was fighting for a common goal. It was a chance for people to redeem themselves. It wouldn’t necessarily right the wrongs of their past but it would give them more of a foothold in society and maybe more self-confidence too.”

Mr Logan has said he would still like to organise a White Collar Gladiator event in Kendal in future, and that he has refunded everyone who bought tickets.