THE father of a man killed by one punch in Blackburn town centre has condemned having ‘punch machines’ in pubs.

Dave Rogers, who set up the charity Every Action Has Consequences after the death of his son Adam, 24, said the games could encourage those using them to become violent.

Adam, who was the Padiham Ladies' football coach, had been trying to diffuse an argument when he was hit by William Kingsley Upton causing him fatal brain injuries.

Mr Rogers said having punch machines, which encourage participants to hit a punchbag as hard as they can, in pubs and takeaways might make revellers become violent once they leave the premises.

He said: “On one level, you can see them as a bit of harmless fun, a bit like something at the fairground.

“But if you put them in the context of a pub where people are drinking there are different overtones.

“You could get some cocky young lads showing how hard they can punch.

“We do not want anything that is going to encourage them to think it is okay to punch somebody. It is totally inappropriate.” Geoff Sutcliffe, landlord of the Rising Sun, in Blackburn, and the chairman of the Blackburn Federation of Licensed Victuallers Association, said he did not believe there was an issue in East Lancashire, but agreed they would not be appropriate in most pub settings.

The 68-year-old said: “I do not think it is the best idea to have these machines in a pub.

“People might get a bit excited about it and might start arguing.

“I do not think they would mix very well with alcohol.”

Mr Sutcliffe added that if punch machines were to be used, they would be better suited in the corner of a large bar or nightclub rather than a local pub.

He said: “But personally, I do not think they are a good thing for a pub.

“They are more of a fun thing for an amusement arcade.”