Former snooker world champ erupts after phone rings during game

A former world champion was left seething and pointed his anger in the direction of one fan in the crowd who broke a cardinal rule.

Furious Stuart Bingham threatened to punch a fan whose phone cost him his Betway UK Championship place.

The former world champion was playing John Higgins in a Last 16 clash in York.

Despite his 46-18 lead in the ninth frame, a rogue phone well off in the crowd went off just as he was about to take a key shot.

Flustered Bingham missed the red and his chance to take a strong advantage and the match was squandered.

Stuart Bingham was not happy!

Scot Higgins went on to clear up in that frame and then the next one to win 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals.

Bingham, 43, gave up a sarcastic thumbs-up to the culprit and gave him evil looks for the rest of the frame.

“Some idiot’s phone went off as I went down to take a shot that would’ve put me on track to go 5-4 up,” he said.

“That sort of thing is pathetic.

“If he’d been close enough I think I would’ve knocked him out!”

"It's a joke... it's costing people their livelihood" 😡@Stuart__Bingham reveals his frustration about the spectator's mobile phone ringing which threw him off his game

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Higgins, 44, will now face China’s Yan Bingtao after he shocked Australian Neil Robertson 6-1.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission.