Express & Star

Teenager fighting for life after violence erupts in crowd attending Walsall Town Hall boxing event

A teenager has been left fighting for their life after violence broke out in the crowd during a boxing event at Walsall Town Hall.

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Tables and chairs scattered inside Walsall Town Hall after trouble flared at the boxing night. Picture: Robert Ellis

Emergency services flooded the town centre shortly after 11.30pm yesterday after trouble flared at the venue.

Hundreds of people were packed into the hall which was hosting a boxing bill, the highlight of which was a bout between Luke Paddock and Myron Mills.

Police today said a 19-year-old man is in a critical condition in hospital and another man was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Police cordon off parts of Leicester Street near the entrance to Walsall Town hall. Picture: @KennettPhoto

The scene has been cordoned off while forensic enquiries are conducted and officers are speaking to witnesses to establish what has happened.

CCTV images are being scoured across the area as an investigation into the violence gets under way.

Reports from the scene suggest tables and chairs were thrown by a group inside the venue.

Emergency services flood streets close to Walsall Town Hall after the alleged stabbings

It is thought that violence then spilled out of the town hall.

Black Country Boxing Promotions confirmed there had been a 'serious incident'.

A Midlands Boxing Super Series event to crown the Midlands Area Super Featherweight champion has been cancelled in the wake of the attack.

The promotor issued a statement today saying its thoughts were with the victims of the attacks and that officials were working with police.

People have expressed their shock at the alleged stabbings on social media.

Your Sport Black Country editor and former Express & Star journalist Craig Birch described the violence as 'deplorable and extremely upsetting'.

He wrote on Facebook: "My thoughts and prayers with the family and friends of the person involved. The boxing community and the town in general must rally round and support each other."

Boxer Luke Paddock expressed his shock at the violence in a post on Facebook adding: "It's just a shame about the violence outside the ring at the end of the show."

Express & Star chief reporter Alex Ross is at the scene

Detective Inspector Ian Wilkins from West Midland Police CID, said: “This was a large scale disorder which has resulted in a teenager receiving life threatening injuries.

“The event was attended by several hundred people and we are trawling CCTV to identify those involved.

“We are in the early stages of our enquiry and I would urge anyone who witnessed what happened and has not yet spoken to us to come forward.”

Walsall Council took to social media as officials said they were supporting the police investigation.

The council said: "There was an incident last night in Walsall town centre that had tragic consequences. West Midlands Police are investigating the circumstances.

"We're supporting West Midlands Police in their investigation in to last night's incident in every way we can."

Anyone with information should contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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