WWE star 'gutted' over council's wrestling school rejection

The school currently trains at a martial arts site in Maghull

A professional wrestler whose plans to open a larger training school were rejected has accused the council of "failing" the local community.

WWE tag team partners James Drake and Zack Gibson submitted plans to relocate and expand Fighting Spirit Wrestling from Maghull to Bootle.

But Sefton Council's planning committee refused their application.

A council spokesman said it was "hoping to work positively" to help Mr Drake and Mr Gibson find an alternative site.

The pair, known in the ring as Grizzled Young Veterans, said the council's decision rested on the length of time their proposed new site had been vacant.

The local authority said the premises needed to have been empty for at least 12 months rather than the 11 it had been vacant at the time of their application.

Zack Gibson, real name Jack Rea, said he was "gutted".

"I'm really disappointed in the councillors here, they've failed their community, ignoring the community benefits to instead get hung up on the technicality of the building being vacant and advertised 'correctly' for 12 months," he said.

"We obviously want to be in the venue, the landlord wants us in the venue, the local community shared comments in the hundreds to say that they wanted us there and the other businesses on Berry Street all signed the petition to say that they wanted us there.

"The decision makers have prevented this based only on their own opinions, not what is best for the people living in the community."

But Mr Gibson said the school would now "push forward in a new direction" at its current premises.

"Basically we're not going to allow this mistake to slow us down," he added.

Gibson and Drake, real name James Dowell, won the inaugural NXT UK Tag Team championship in January.