‘Illegal boxing’ on city park kiosk, where criminals fight sparks safety fears

The offenders are alleged to be taking part in “illegal” boxing matches on a bandstand in a park popular with children.

The sparring is said to be taking place at Western Park in Dane Hills, Leicester, and is being posted on YouTube. City residents shared their concerns about the activity, particularly with the school holidays looming. “Dangerous criminals are hosting illegal fights in Leicester’s Western Park. This is a big safety issue.

“You have people fighting when they are children playing in the park. You can see hooded thugs in some of the videos and there is an extreme use of violence shown in these videos,” said one resident. The council, which is controlled by the Labor Party, says it is in contact with Leicestershire Police. He also stressed that park rangers would frequently check the area, which is in a western suburb of Leicester.

Western Park was acquired for development as a park in 1897 and offers 72 acres to explore, Leicestershire Live reports. There is a tree-lined boulevard on the park’s main road, which offers play areas, bowling greens, tennis courts and ample parking. A spokesman for Leicester City Council said: “Antisocial behavior is behavior that can cause harassment, alarm or distress, so it is likely that this behavior fits that description.

“We will alert the local police beat squad and if we can identify those involved and they live locally we can work with the police to warn them off such activities in the area and offer advice on safer ways and more suitable for involvement in sport and physical activity. Our rangers will check the area on their field visits.