Authorities in Hackney, a rundown area of...

Authorities in Hackney, a rundown area of east London, have banned professional boxing, the first time the sport has been outlawed anywhere in Britain.

The borough of Hackney, where a left-wing municipal council is controlled by the country’s opposition Labor party, has been one of the strongholds of boxing in the capital. The area was home to two recent world champions, junior middleweight Maurice Hope and light heavyweight Dennis Andries.

Amateur bouts are unaffected.