Boxing gym vows to 'keep fighting' after break-in

The head coach of a boxing gym says he vows to "keep fighting" on after £2,000-worth of gym equipment was stolen.

Wiltshire Police said a number of free weights and power tools had been taken from War Boxing Academy on Silver Street in Warminster on 7 October.

Chris Dax said it was hard "to put into words how frustrating and upsetting" the situation had been.

"We are community run, the membership fees cover the rent and expenses of the gym, there's very little in the pot so to speak. This is probably going to set us back months," he added.

Dax said as a result of the break-in, sessions and training plans had been affected and the £2,000 spent on replacing equipment would otherwise be going on developing boxers and supporting competitions.

Many boxers, as well as local retailers, have offered support in the wake of the break-in, a response Dax, who also works as a health and safety consultant, said he felt heartened by.

"I've lived in Warminster for a couple years," Dax continued. "I've been through some tough times over the last couple of years with my wife passing away. The community and the boxing club banded together then and really supported my family.

"It didn't surprise me that they came together now again, as the community has been supportive ever since I lived here."

War Boxing Academy, which opened in May 2025, is popular with adults in the town and also offers sessions for young people to give them a safe space in the school holidays and evenings.

Stacie Allensby, town councillor for the area and former mayor, said "several young people" had "greatly benefited from War Boxing Academy" and she, along with many others in the community had been "angered by the theft".

"Not only for the owner, an incredibly hard working person, but for the people who use [the gym] and benefit from it," she added.

Anyone with any information on the break-in is encouraged to contact police.

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