"Fart noises" halt major sporting event

A loud but proud fan was kicked out of the Masters snooker final in London after repeatedly using a device that played fart noises during key moments.

The final between Ali Carter and Stuart Bingham played at Alexandra Palace was stopped at one point in the fifth frame.

"Stop that now, please," referee Brendan Moore directed towards a spectator.

The Guardian reports that the fan was removed from the venue.

"I think it could be someone with a whoopee cushion," Dennis Taylor said on the BBC's commentary. "Not very funny at all."

According to the Guardian, a YouTube prank site reportedly claimed responsibility for planting a "fart box" in the crowd earlier the tournament.

It was not the first time a match was halted for a strange reason at the tournament.

Last week referee Ben Williams was stung by a wasp after removing it from the snooker table during at the first-round match between Jack Lisowski and Kyren Wilson.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission