Junior boxer visited by police accusing him of frightening horses by skipping down country lane

Junior boxer James Wignall received a visit from police officers for skipping in the street. The 16-year-old said he was “staggered” after officers accused him of frightening a neighbour’s horses as he trained in the country lane outside his home in Croston near Chorley, Lancashire. “I thought it was a joke at first,” said James, who has won 14 of his 17 fights so far, including a North West title. “Two officers came out - just for that.”

James regularly spends up to 45 minutes exercising with the rope outside his front door. His mother Carol said: “It’s crazy. Surely the police have much better things to be doing than chasing up a complaint like this. I couldn’t believe it when I opened the door and they were standing there. It’s not as if he is breaking the law.” James took to the street with his skipping rope because his garden is not big enough. “You need a hard surface - grass is no good,” he said.



“But I’ve been in the road skipping for years. It’s not as if I’ve just started. The horses were in a field opposite, behind a huge hedge. I wasn’t aware I was spooking them. There are tractors thundering down this lane and they don’t seem scared of those. I’m not making a lot of noise and, as far as I’m aware, it’s not against the law because this is a public highway. And it’s not like I’m just messing about. I’m serious about my sport. I’m back in the ring in September and my ambition is to turn professional one day.”

Carol added: “James has been boxing since he was eight. He’s been skipping in the street for all that time too. Then, completely out of the blue, we get a visit from two officers saying he’s been upsetting the horses across the road. I just find it bizarre. He’s a good boy and he is dedicated to his sport. It’s not as if he’s hanging around street corners at night.” A spokesperson for Lancashire Police said: “Two officers made a reassurance visit to the address. They spoke to both parties involved and no further police action was deemed necessary.”