The World Snooker Championship has been disrupted by two protesters, causing one match to be rescheduled.
Shortly after the start of the evening session on Monday, two protesters made their way into the playing area at the Crucible, targeting one table each.
On the table which featured Robert Milkins and Joe Perry, a man climbed on top of the table and covered it with orange powder as he sat on it.
The contest between Mark Allen and Fan Zhengyi was interrupted by a woman attempting to tie herself to one of the middle pockets.
The incident that led to play being suspended.#CazooWorldChampionship pic.twitter.com/ysUSP81WUu
— Live Snooker (@Livesnooker) April 17, 2023
In both instances, the protesters were overpowered and taken away by security, it later being confirmed that a man and woman had been arrested by South Yorkshire Police.
Climate change activists 'Just Stop Oil' - their name worn by at least one of the protesters - have since claimed responsibility for the protest.
The encounter between Milkins and Perry will restart on Tuesday morning at 9.30am, BST, while Allen and Fan restarted 40 minutes after the incident and reached a conclusion as Allen prevailed by a 10-5 scoreline.
Darren Plant
