COMMENT: Shame on the yobs who tainted charity event

Mayhem erupted at an Ultra MMA event to raise money for Cancer Research at Mountbatten Leisure Centre, and forthcoming boxing events have been cancelled pending an internal review.

It is alleged that fighting broke out among audience members and video footage of the violence was shared on social media, with many condemning the behaviour.

Police are trying to trace witnesses at the event to piece together what happened.

Nigel Holding from Waterlooville was part of the group who trained for eight weeks before taking part in the event on Saturday night.

He said: ‘We raised over £8,000 but we know that the only thing people are going to remember now is the fighting that went on in the audience.

‘I have no idea what started it but it has made us all rather angry and upset that this charity match was ruined right at the end with people throwing chairs and flipping tables.’

Former Pompey footballer Dave Waterman has had to seek a new venue for his annual charity boxing match on April 6 for The Oakley Waterman Caravan Foundation and a post on its Facebook page read: ‘Due to some moronic behaviour by a few individuals at an MMA show, Mountbatten have cancelled all boxing events.

‘This is completely out of our control, and as a result we have been frantically trying to find an alternative solution.’

Violence anywhere is abhorrent, but at a charity event it is particularly sickening.

Let’s hope the perpetrators are brought to book, and we hope that the unfortunate episode will not taint the ability of such events to raise money for good causes in future.