World snooker championship disrupted by Just Stop Oil protesters in Sheffield

‘Just Stop Oil’ protesters forced a stoppage in play early in the evening session at the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.

Two protesters invaded the arena shortly after play began with a man interrupting the match between Robert Milkins and Joe Perry by jumping on the table, where he emptied a packet of orange powder.

A female protester was prevented from disrupting the match between Mark Allen and Fan Zhengyi on table two by the quick-thinking response of the referee, Olivier Marteel.

Play was suspended as cleaners brought vacuum cleaners into the arena and the event host, Rob Walker, was among those helping to clean up the mess.

On Twitter, Just Stop Oil posted of the two protesters: “They are demanding that the Government immediately stop all new UK fossil fuel projects and are calling on UK sporting institutions to step into in civil resistance against the Government’s genocidal policies.”

In the BBC studio, the former world champion Stephen Hendry said: “I have never seen that before at a snooker event. It’s a first.