A darts fan was knocked unconscious after being punched by a group of men dressed as lobsters outside the World Darts Championship. The victim, a man in his 20s, had been watching the third day of the tournament at Alexandra Palace on December 13 last year.
Incident details
He left the north London venue at about 4.30pm, when he was surrounded by a group of men dressed as lobsters. An argument broke out between the man and the group, and they were separated by site security. But the man ran into the group again shortly after, as he was walking along the venue’s concourse, and one of the men punched him unconscious, the Metropolitan Police said.
The man received hospital treatment for non-life threatening but serious injuries from which he is still suffering, according to the Met. On Monday, the force released a CCTV image of a man they would like to question in connection with the incident.
Police appeal
Detective Constable Lizzie Coster, leading the investigation, said: ‘This assault occurred outside at a major sporting event, and the suspect was wearing a distinctive costume. We are releasing a CCTV image of the suspect in the hope that it will jog the memory of attendees, or anyone else who was in the area at the time.’
She added: ‘Our thoughts are with the victim in this case, and we hope the best for his recovery.’
Context of the tournament
On day three of the 2026 World Darts Championship, which ran from December 2025 to January 2026, two-time champion Gary Anderson beat Adam Hunt 3-2 after a tense first round. Darts fans have become known for attending professional games in fancy dress – a tradition thought to have begun as a fun way for groups to get noticed by television cameras. Luke Littler won the World Championship for the second year in a row after beating Gian van Veen 7-1 in the final on January 3.
