A boxing club in Dagenham that is used by Olympic hopeful Lawrence Okolie has been flooded causing thousands of pounds of damage to the newly refurbished gym.

Barking and Dagenham Post: Boxing gym at the Heathway, Dagenham, flooded. Danny O'SullivanBoxing gym at the Heathway, Dagenham, flooded. Danny O'Sullivan (Image: Archant)

Dagenham police and community boxing club, in Heathway, is fighting for its future after being washed out from a blocked sink in the apartment above the club.

“So basically we’ve had a flood from our neighbours above the gym because two taps were left on all night,” said Danny O’Sullivan, the club secretary.

“It seems the plug holes have been deliberately filled with toilet roll. The water is at times six inches deep, it leaked into Lloyd’s bank next door and they’ve had to close all day,” he added.

Last year the Dagenham boxing club used funding from Sport England, as well as £15,000 of their own finances, to improve the clubs facilities with the total cost reaching £100,000.

“The floor is compressed of layers of sponge and now it’s lifting up and bubbling. That’s 30 grand worth of damage to the floor alone,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

“It’s also leaked onto one of our boxing rings and damaged equipment, even some of our boxing licenses in the office were damaged.”

Mr O’Sullivan is currently trying to sort out an insurance claim but is unsure of what the outcome will be leaving him worried for the future of the gym.

“We only had the floor fitted a few months ago, unless we get an insurance claim against the occupants above us I’m not sure what we’ll do,” he said.

However the financial cost is not the only concern of Mr O’Sullivan as the club is used by many talented boxers who have important fights coming up, like heavyweight Lawrence Okolie who is boxing in the Rio Olympics this summer.

“He comes here two or three times a week it could affect him and the other lads. We might have to make some arrangements to find somewhere else for them to train in the meantime,” said Mr O’Sullivan.