- Viewers noticed the strange moment during a BBC broadcast in April.
- The incident took place while Steven Hendry was speaking during a break in the game.
- Police closed the case determining that no crime had been committed.
Police closed their case by investigating a video that went viral in April, showing a man nibbling on a child’s ear during a BBC broadcast.
Seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry was speaking during a break in the BBC’s coverage of the afternoon session when the disturbing moment could be seen in the background over his left shoulder.
The man, of unknown parentage, appeared to whisper in the boy’s ear before proceeding to nibble his ear, leaving onlookers surprised.
The boy didn’t seem fazed when he noticed he could be seen on the live feed, and then smiled and waved at the camera as the man walked away.
The man then realizes he’s being recorded and breaks into a cheesy smile before shaking his head back and forth.
A man (right) was seen biting a child’s ear during BBC Snooker coverage in April.
South Yorkshire Police have confirmed they have closed their investigation into the incident.
South Yorkshire Police had confirmed they were “reviewing” the footage after becoming aware of the video. A man was seen biting a child’s ear during Thursday’s coverage of the World Championships at The Crucible in Sheffield.
Mail Sport contacted South Yorkshire Police in April, who said: “Yesterday, Thursday 25 April at 9.20pm, we received a call to reports of a video circulating on social media of a man and a boy at Crucible in Sheffield.
“We are aware of the images and officers will review the content.”
A World Snooker Tour spokesperson added: “We are aware of this incident and it is now a police matter.”
However, almost two months later, police have confirmed that the investigation has been closed.
A spokesperson told Metro.co.uk: “Following review of the video, officers have determined that no crime has been committed and the investigation has been closed.”
The video had racked up more than 12 million views and 58,000 likes by the next morning and X users expressed their horror.
The fan who originally posted the clip of the incident on social media wrote: ‘What the fuck did I just see?!’ with the ‘sick’ emoji.
“This is very worrying,” one wrote, while another said “I just threw up.”
Another posted: ‘That is absolutely shocking. That poor child. Find this man and protect that child now!
Many even went so far as to argue that the boy needed protection and that the man should be arrested.
