A pigeon briefly stopped play at the World Snooker Championship midway through the second round match between Mark Selby and Yan Bingtao.

The bird fluttered down from among the television lights and landed on the top cushion during a brief break prior to the start of the sixth frame at the Crucible.

It was quickly ushered out of the arena through the players’ entrance, surprising defending champion Selby, who was returning to the arena at the time.

Pigeons have been frequent visitors to Wimbledon’s service lines but it is believed to the first time they have invaded the Sheffield venue. BBC pundit John Virgo joked “where’s the pigeon going?”