No 'frame fix' charges for Stephen Maguire and Jamie Burnett

The Procurator Fiscal at Hamilton has confirmed that there is insufficient evidence to justify a criminal prosecution in relation to the match between the pair on 15 December, 2008.

World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn has welcomed the news, and admitted his frustration at the length of time it has taken for this conclusion to be reached.

World Snooker were alerted by bookmakers to unusual betting patterns before the match, with large sums being staked. The final result was 9-3 in Maguire's favour after Burnett missed a black in the 12th frame which would have cut the deficit to 8-4. Both players have strenuously denied any wrongdoing.

Strathclyde Police decided there was a sufficient link for their force to launch an investigation into the match, which was played in Telford, before handing over their file to the Procurator Fiscal in April 2010.

The Crown Office have now handed the file over to the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) to conduct their own inquiry, but Hearn was delighted for the players that prosecutors had decided that Maguire and Burnett had no case to answer.

He said: "I'm very pleased that there is no evidence to support legal action against the two players. I'm somewhat surprised that this matter has been hanging around since December 2008 and obviously the cloud of suspicion has been cast over the two players concerned, which must have been very difficult for them.

"It's a shame it wasn't resolved much more quickly, and presumably, at less cost to the public purse strings. I found it quite frustrating waiting, and I'm sure both Burnett and Maguire will be relieved to have that cloud of suspicion removed from them."

Hearn added: "With our disciplinary head on we will review any evidence (the police] have, but clearly (we will review it] in the light that it was nearly three years ago and also that they have decided that there was no action to be taken.

"The case will be reviewed by the WPBSA disciplinary panel. We will maintain our efforts through our integrity unit to ensure that snooker remains whiter than white and at this moment in time I'm very pleased for both Maguire and Burnett that there is no evidence of any wrongdoing on their behalf which necessitates a prosecution."

The head of the WPBSA's disciplinary committee, David Douglas, will lead the organisation's inquiry into the case after the Crown Office in Scotland handed over the files.

A Crown Office spokesman said: "The Procurator Fiscal at Hamilton has received a report concerning five males aged 35, 34, 29, 31 and 31, in connection with alleged offences occurring in December 2008.

"Following a full and comprehensive investigation the case was reported for the consideration of Crown Counsel who, after careful consideration of all facts and circumstances, decided that there is insufficient evidence to justify a criminal prosecution.

"The case has now been referred to the relevant professional body for consideration of disciplinary proceedings."

WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson said his organisation would analyse the information provided by the Crown Office. "We will be looking at this from a regulatory point of view and we will take a view on it," he said. "We have got strict rules; players know where they stand."

The WPBSA inquiry will look at the Strathclyde Police files - which until now they have not seen - but they may then extend the investigation to see whether sporting rules were breached. The integrity of snooker has been under the spotlight following a series of incidents in recent years. Australian player Quinten Hann was banned for eight years after being found guilty of throwing frames in 2006, while four-time world champion John Higgins was suspended last year after a News of the World report suggested he had discussed the possibility of fixing frames in return for money.

Higgins was cleared of match-fixing last September, but was given a six-month ban and fined 75,000 after being found guilty of disrepute for failing to report the approach to fix matches.

South African Peter Francisco was banned for five years in 1995 after a probe into bets placed on his World Championship match against Jimmy White.