Police close investigation into man who nibbled on a boy’s ear in viral World Snooker Championship video after BBC broadcast alarmed viewers
- Viewers noticed the strange moment during a BBC broadcast in April
- The incident occurred while Steven Hendry was speaking during a break in play
- The police closed the case and determined that no crime had been committed
Police have closed their case as they investigate a video that went viral in April showing a man nibbling a boy’s ear during a BBC broadcast.
Seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry was speaking during a break in play in BBC’s coverage of the afternoon session when the disturbing moment could be seen over his left shoulder in the background.
The man, whose relationship is unknown, appeared to whisper in the child’s ear before nibbling on his ear, leaving viewers shocked.
The boy seemed unfazed when he noticed he was featured during the live broadcast, smiling and waving at the camera as the man retreated.
The man then realizes he’s being recorded and breaks into a goofy grin before bobbing his head back and forth.
During the BBC’s Snooker coverage in April, a man (right) was seen biting a boy’s ear
South Yorkshire Police have confirmed they have closed their investigation into the incident
South Yorkshire Police had confirmed they were ‘reviewing’ the footage after being made aware of the video. A man was seen biting a young boy’s ear during World Cup coverage at The Crucible in Sheffield on Thursday.
Mail Sport contacted South Yorkshire Police in April and said: ‘Yesterday, Thursday 25 April at 9.20pm, we received a call informing us of a video circulating on social media of a man and a boy in the Crucible in Sheffield.
‘We are aware of the images and officers will assess the contents.’
A World Snooker Tour spokesperson subsequently added: ‘we are aware of this incident and it is now a police matter.’
However, almost two months later, police have now confirmed that the investigation has been closed.
A spokesperson told Metro.co.uk: ‘After reviewing the video, officers determined no crime had been committed and investigations have begun.’
The video had been viewed more than 12 million times and liked 58,000 times by the next morning, with X users expressing their disgust.
The fan who originally posted the clip of the incident on social media wrote, “What the hell did I just watch?!” with the ‘sick’ emoji.
“This is very disturbing,” one wrote, while another said: “I just threw up.”
Another wrote: ‘That is absolutely shocking. That poor child. Find this man and protect that child now!’
Many even went so far as to claim that the boy needed protection and that the man should be arrested.
