Fights broke out during the undercard bout between Gary Corcoran and Johnny Garton at the Brentwood Centre on Saturday night at an event broadcast live on BT Sport
DOZENS of boxing fans threw punches at an event in Essex that had fans fearing for their safety.
Video footage emerged on social media of fans clashing inside the arena during the undercard bout between Gary Corcoran and Johnny Garton — as organisers yelled over the PA system: "You came here to watch boxing, sit down!"
Fans throw punches and used chairs as weapons in the stands during the welterweight fight, with security guards and police forced to intervene.
One man shields what appears to be his female partner from the violence at the event organised by Frank Warren Promotions.
There were fears the punch-up - which lasted around half an hour - could derail the fight completely, with the MC having to use the PA system to tell fans to "sit down".
But Garton and Corcoran kept their focus, with the former eventually coming out on top with an 11th-round TKO over his opponent to land the vacant title.
The Frank Warren promotions event, which was aired live on BT Sport 1, also saw Anthony Yarde maintain his unbeaten record with a 17th professional victory over light heavyweight rival Walter Gabriel Sequeira.
In a statement Essex Police condemned the violence, saying: "Officers acted swiftly and bravely after the outbreak of a fight between some members of the crowd at last night’s event in the Brentwood Centre.
"This behaviour will not be tolerated and we are working with the organisers and security to determine who was involved. No arrests were made last night.
"The security of private events are the responsibility of the venue and organisers.
"Prior to the event, we met with the organisers, whose security arrangements appeared to be sufficient.
"We had officers in the area to assist in the event of any disorder and we dealt with what happened last night quickly – we are continuing our enquiries into who was involved.
"Anyone with information or further footage of the fight is asked to contact us on 101, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
When contacted by SunSport, Frank Warren said: “The safety of our customers is absolutely paramount and we are working closely with the police and the BBBofC to identify the individuals involved and bring them to justice.”
