Boxing club devastated after gym destroyed in fire

Legion Community Club was due to open a new gym in Redhouse Working Men's Club

The couple behind a local boxing club are "fighting back" after all their equipment was destroyed in a fire at a former social club earlier this week.

Redhouse Working Men's Club, on Rawmarsh Road in Sunderland, was set to become the new home of Legion Community Club's gym, before a fire broke out in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Kerry Bagley, trustee of the boxing club, said they were told "nothing will be salvageable" after firefighters took more than nine hours to extinguish the blaze.

Frank Bagley, the club's coach, was recently nominated for a BBC Make a Difference award for improving the lives of the community through boxing.

Mrs Bagley said her husband has given up every night, and most weekends, to train boxers of all ages for the past eight years.

Ahead of the move to Redhouse Working Men's Club, the couple had moved all of the boxing equipment into the building just a few days ago, including all of the children's boxing gear.

The Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service was called when the fire broke out around 01:30BST on Thursday, with six emergency vehicles attending the scene.

No injuries have been reported, and the cause of the fire is still unknown.

It took firefighters nine hours to extinguish the fire

"According to the fire brigade, because it took them nine hours to tackle the fire, they're saying that the smoke damage and the water damage is so extensive that nothing will be salvageable, unfortunately," Mrs Bagley told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"We just can't believe it.

"Unfortunately, it's completely gone."

She told the BBC their first goal was to replace the children's equipment.

"Basically, our main concern is the kids," she said.

"Their bags with their boxing gear was in there, and a lot of them probably couldn't afford to replace them.

But she added: "We're not going to give up - we're fighting back."