Firefighters, policemen and ambulance workers took part in a fight to remember when they went head to head in a boxing ring to raise money for the Romford War Memorial Social Club.

And the �1500 netted at the event, run by Hornchurch Help for Heroes man Lee Brown, went toward a new alarm system in the Eastern Road building.

The social club opened in 1953 and is now the subject of an extensive renovation programme.

“War memorial is more important than anything,” said Mr Brown, 34. “Your history should never be forgotten, ever.”

Mr Brown, a former rifleman who had family in the war, said he was happy to help. “I’m a local lad. We go abroad and do these [Help for Heroes fundraising] events but your own community is most important. Everyone that boxed that night lived in this vicinity – there were 36 fighters from the London Ambulance Service, the London Fire Brigade and the Met.”

Jai Sepple, who is working with the club’s committee on the renovation, said the alarms were badly needed as vandals regularly target the club, smashing windows and using the front of the building as a toilet.

“We’ve got two open driveways,” he explained, “so the front of the building looks derelict – that’s why we get people using it as a toilet.

“Once we’ve got the front done up we’ll be in a much better position because people won’t think it’s derelict.”