A darts fan was punched unconscious by a man dressed as a lobster outside the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace — and police have released a CCTV image of the suspect they hope will jog the memory of anyone who saw the bizarre attack.
The victim, a man in his 20s, had been watching the third day of the tournament on December 13 last year. He left the north London venue at about 4.30pm and was immediately surrounded by a group of men dressed as lobsters.
“Police hunt a man in a lobster costume after he punched a darts fan unconscious outside the World Darts Championship.”
An argument broke out, and site security separated the two sides. But minutes later, as the victim walked along the venue’s concourse, he ran into the same group again. One of the men punched him, knocking him unconscious.
The Metropolitan Police said the victim received hospital treatment for non-life-threatening but serious injuries from which he is still suffering.
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."
Darts fans are 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. 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. Luke Littler went on to win the World Championship for the second year in a row after beating Gian van Veen 7-1 in the final on January 3.
Anyone with information is urged to contact police on 101, quoting reference 6879/13DEC.
