Football fans warned that one punch can kill.

The mam of a one punch victim in Consett is warning football fans how deadly a fight can become ahead of Euro2016.

Pubs across the North East are set to fill up this weekend as the first games get underway.

But in a UK first a campaign to tackle one punch violence has issued beer mats across to pubs in Chester-le-Street reminding people how easily one punch can turn deadly.

Tony Curl and his wife Maxine Thompson-Curl are behind it, after she lost her son 19-year-old Kristian in 2011. Maxine said:

“He went into the toilets and was hit once and his head hit the floor and he had a catastrophic brain injury.

“It is happening really often. We just want people to be aware, keep your hands down, don’t lash out, walk away and think of the consequences.

"He was the light of my life. We hugely miss him but I know that this is what he wants me to do because this happens in pubs and clubs. You just need to think about what you’re doing and calm down.”

You can see the beer mats here:

Neighbourhood inspector Paul Gray said:

“The sad truth is that sometimes it only takes one punch and two lives are ruined, with one person losing a life and the other their liberty.

“Kristian’s story is tragic. We’ve worked hard over recent years to educate people across County Durham and Darlington on the dangers and consequences of getting into a fight on a night out and thankfully incidents of this nature are rare.

“But we don’t want to rest on our laurels. This campaign has been put together in an effort to prevent anyone else losing their life because of one punch and we hope that as many people as possible see this important message.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Ron Hogg said:

"We all know what the consequences of excessive alcohol consumption can be, but only by talking to people who have suffered tragedies such as Maxine and Tony do you really appreciate how utterly devastating they are. The work that they have put in to raise this issue is truly inspiring."

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