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Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Jon Doel

Second Wimbledon match halted as intruder runs onto court during match

Play was stopped on Wimbledon's Court 18 for a second time after another protester threw confetti on to the grass during British number one Katie Boulter's first-round match.

A man entered the court during Boulter's match with Daria Saville and threw orange confetti and jigsaw pieces, which appear to have been purchased inside Wimbledon's club shop. Both players helped clear the court after the protester was escorted away.

It followed an earlier incident on the same court when protestors broke through security and entered the playing area as Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov played Japan's Sho Shimabukuro on Wednesday. They also threw orange confetti on the court before being detained by police officers.

Play was suspended as angry spectators booed, jeered and swore at the protestors.

Organisers announced on Twitter that the pair were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass and criminal damage after running onto the court during a match between Grigor Dimitrov and Sho Shimabukuro.

The Metropolitan Police said on Twitter that a man and a woman were now in custody after the incident.

Just Stop Oil has named the activists in the first incident as Deborah Wilde and Simon Milner-Edwards.

Wimbledon tweeted: "Following an incident on Court 18, two individuals have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass and criminal damage and these individuals have now been removed from the Grounds.

"Play on the court was temporarily paused and, following a suspension in play due to a rain delay, play is about to resume."

The protest happened as Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer held talks with police and sports chiefs to discuss how to prevent Just Stop Oil activists targeting flagship events.

The second Ashes Test at Lord's, the Gallagher Premiership rugby final at Twickenham and the World Snooker Championship have all been affected in recent months.

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