Cage fights barbaric – Jeremy Hunt
CULTURE Secretary Jeremy Hunt has condemned “barbaric” images of children cage fighting – as police yesterday said they would take no action.
Video footage showed two boys – one aged nine, the other eight – fighting without padding or headgear in front of 250 baying adults in Preston, Lancs. The eight-year-old was left in tears and was checked out by medics during a 10-minute bout at Greenlands Labour Club.
Mr Hunt said: “It feels very barbaric and I know there are concerns.” He said he was surprised to hear there were no restrictions on children in such an environment.
It feels very barbaric and I know there are concerns.
Lancashire Police said they had “looked into this matter fully and there are no issues to pursue”.
Nick Hartley, father of one of the boys, said the fighting was not dangerous and his son “loves the sport”. Club owner Michelle Anderson said the children were not fighting, but “grappling”.
Chris Cloke, of the NSPCC, said: “We would strongly discourage this.”