RIOT police had to use CS gas to halt violence at a boxing tournament.

And the troubles meant that Huddersfield-based boxer Pinky Burton, 23, had to cancel his key match against Valery Odin.

Both boxers were unable to take the ring after the shocking violence at The Magna Centre in Rotherham.

Huddersfield trainer Chris Aston, who had spent eight weeks working with light-heavyweight Burton, 23, at his Linthwaite gym, said: "It was a bad night.

"We were upstairs in the dressing rooms, preparing for the fight, when the problems flared up. There had been a fight in the crowd which had been contained, but it flared up again and a lot of people were involved.

"It seemed to be two groups of soccer fans. Some were chanting Leicester City songs and others for Derby County. More and more of them seem to be coming to boxing, where the security is not as tight," he added.

Aston is now trying to rearrange the Burton fight, possibly for a Sky Sports bill in Huddersfield on December 4.

Inquiries were continuing today into the violence among the crowd, which was eventually quelled by more than 90 police officers using CS spray.

Three people suffered minor injuries in the disturbance among the crowd of 1,000 people at the Magna Centre, which broke out at about 5.30pm yesterday.

Police had to call for reinforcements after they came under a hail of seats.

A police spokeswoman said: "A large-scale fight broke out between two groups of people and over 90 officers eventually had to be deployed to quell it.

"Three members of the public received minor injuries. They sought medical attention."