Man in 'ear nibble’ incident at World Snooker Championship in Sheffield breaks silence 

A man seen nibbling the ear of a boy during the World Snooker Championships has broken his silence.

The Daily Mail reports he posted on social media defending his actions as a normal means of expressing affection towards a loved one.

He wrote he was just "sharing love and affection like anyone else," adding that the pictures "are being edited" on social media. He hit out at "photomontages and fake posts," asking people to "leave my family alone."

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The Mail identified the man as a holidaymaker from Italy and revealed the boy in the footage was a relative.

Cameras caught the ‘nibbling’ in the background while former champ Stephen Hendry was speaking live on television, next to the temporary studio in the Winter Garden.

The man appeared to whisper in the child's ear before nibbling it, with viewers expressing shock on social media, some even calling for the child to be protected.

The boy did not appear upset, and smiled and waved towards the camera as the man pulled back, realising he was on camera.

After the incident, South Yorkshire Police said they were 'reviewing the content’ of the footage after being made aware of the video.

Earlier this week police said they had closed the case.

They said in a statement: “Following review of the video, officers have determined no crime has been committed and the investigation has been filed.”