A BOXING coach proving a knock-out with local children now wants to open a club.

Dennis Doyle, of Linthwaite, has coached boxing for six years and believes it keeps youngsters out of trouble.

Now he wants to open his own club, hoping that the discipline of the sport will reduce crime by giving children goals, a sense of purpose and help them to improve their fitness.

Having run trial sessions prior to the club opening, the response from local kids has been overwhelming.

The father-of-three said: “We have had 12 amateur fighters come down and about 20 kids who are wanting to try it out.

“I honestly cannot believe the amount of interest shown in our boxing tester sessions so far.

“The boxercise type sessions are proving very popular and that’s without advertising.

“When working with kids for a number of years you get to know them, which is why is frustrates me to hear how isolated they’ve become. There’s nothing for kids to do.

“This leads to them hanging around on street corners in gangs where they are vulnerable to peer pressure, drugs and crime.

“I believe grass-roots sport is the way forward.