World Snooker launches anti-corruption unit

Lord Stevens will be part of a new integrity unit to police the sport.

"Unfortunately, recently we've had some high profile cases which have tarnished the image of the game," said Hearn.

"It's vital for the future of snooker that we stamp out corruption and make sure we are clean, and perceived as clean by the viewing public."

Three-time world champion John Higgins was recently cleared of match-fixing allegations, but he was banned for six months and fined £75,000 for not reporting an illegal approach made to him to discuss throwing frames.

"Setting up the integrity unit is a process we started several months ago - before the John Higgins case came about - by bringing [World Snooker disciplinary head] David Douglas on to the board," added Hearn.

"Snooker is a sport associated with honesty and sportsmanship, we've all seen countless occasions where players have owned up to fouls not spotted by the referee."

He added: "We must stop the problems at the root and provide a massive deterrent. Therefore, it is our intention to give life bans to players found in breach of the most serious rules."

"We live in a world of temptation, we live in a world that requires education of the pitfalls of trusting other people, by being gullible or naive.

"We need to make sure we have systems in place to help these people. We want to guarantee we will never have a problem."

Lord Stevens is chairman of Quest, an investigations and risk mitigation company that has led inquiries into alleged corruption in football and Formula One.

Quest will work alongside snooker's internal disciplinary committee, led by Douglas, who is a former detective chief superintendent.

The three purposes of the new integrity unit are intelligence, prevention and investigation, with Higgins also to be involved in educating young players when he returns from his suspension.

Douglas said: "I suspect a lot of players in all sports who err on the wrong side haven't fully understood the rules and regulations. They get led by other people to paths they shouldn't be following.

"I know John Higgins himself has said that, in terms of our education programme, when he comes back he is going to explain particularly to the younger players what happened to him.

"He will explain what the younger players need to be looking for to make sure they don't make the same mistakes. And it was a mistake that John made."

Hearn added: "I promise anyone that watches or is involved [with snooker] that it will be cleaner than clean and that anyone who breaches these rules, the punishment will be Draconian. These are problems that are going to affect every sport and we need a system that is beyond any other system.

"I think we are going to be the blueprint for sport. We need to have the independent and inside knowledge and years of experience.

"Someone once said that everyone has a price. What we have to say is that temptation is out there but you've got the world's best known policeman on your back."