Just Stop Oil protestors force stoppage at World Snooker Championship match between Milkins and Perry

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

The duo 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 released a packet of orange dye.

A female protestor was stopped from attacking the match between Mark Allen and Fan Zhengyi on table two by the quick-thinking response of referee Olivier Marteel.

Play was immediately suspended as cleaners brought vacuum cleaners into the arena and master of ceremonies Rob Walker was among those helping to sweep up the mess.

Former world champion Stephen Hendry, on commentary duties for the BBC, said: “I have never seen that before at a snooker event. It’s a first.

“It is scary. Wow! You just hope the cloth can be recovered from that. It caught us all by surprise and then this happens.

“For me, straight away as a snooker player I am thinking: ‘Is the table recoverable?’ We don’t know what that is on the table.”