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John Higgins has been handed a six-month suspension from snooker and fined £75,000 after admitting breaching rules around betting.

During a two-day hearing in London which finished on Wednesday (September 8), the Scot admitted two of the lesser charges levelled against him. But the more serious charges of match-fixing were withdrawn.

The former world champion was suspended in May pending an investigation into allegations of frame-throwing which were made by the News of the World.

He admitted "intentionally giving the impression to others that they were agreeing to act in breach of the betting rules" and failing to report the matter promptly to the sport’s governing body World Snooker.

However, the charges of "agreeing or offering" to accept bribes and "agreeing to engage in corrupt or fraudulent conduct" were dropped.

Higgins and his manager Pat Mooney, who resigned from the board of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, were filmed by the News of the World newspaper allegedly agreeing to accept £261,000 in return for fixing the outcome of four frames in matches to be played later this year.

Like Higgins, charges 1 and 2 against Mooney were withdrawn, while he admitted charges 3 and 4.

Higgins always denied any wrongdoing and insisted he would fight to clear his name, and the world governing body agreed the player "would never throw, and had no intention at that meeting of throwing any frame of snooker for reward".

In his summary of decision, Mr Ian Mill QC said: "The association has explained that this withdrawal resulted from an acceptance, following an investigation which all concerned have correctly characterised as very thorough and fair, that Mr Higgins had truthfully accounted for his words and actions at the meeting in Kiev on April 30, selected extracts from which subsequently were widely publicised.”

Higgins, suspended by the association on May 2, will be banned from the game until midnight on November 1.

He also has been ordered to pay a contribution to the costs of the hearing.

The summary of decision laid the blame squarely at the door of Mooney, claiming the manager had put the player in "a highly invidious position".

Explaining the reason for the withdrawal of the more serious charges against Mooney, it read: "The association's explanation for these withdrawals was very different.

"The association maintained that Mr Mooney had in fact intended to act fraudulently and corruptly as alleged.

"However, a last-minute argument advanced on behalf of Mr Mooney by Mr Phillips QC, based on a proper construction of the rules to which charges 1 and 2 refer, had persuaded the association that it did not have sufficient prospects of proving those charges."

It continued: "Mr Higgins was put in a highly invidious position by Mr Mooney, who was entirely responsible for Mr Higgins' presence in Kiev and, in particular, at the meeting there on April 30.

"Mr Higgins can be criticised for the way in which he chose to respond to the situation in which he found himself."

Speaking outside the hearing, Higgins said he welcomed the judgment "following an exhaustive inquiry into allegations against me by a tabloid newspaper".

He said he was pleased that he was found not guilty of any dishonesty and "had no intention to fix a match and no intention to do anything corrupt".

Higgins added: "The statement I made in May immediately after the newspaper accusations was 100 per cent true then and they are 100 per cent true today. I have never been involved in any form of snooker match-fixing.

"In my 18 years playing professional snooker, I've never deliberately missed a shot, never intentionally lost a frame or a match. I am glad the WPBSA's view of the events in Kiev reflects that statement. If I am guilty of anything, it is naivety and trusting those who I believed were working in the best interests of snooker and myself.

"I accept I should have informed the WPBSA officials about the events in Kiev immediately on my return to the UK. I accept the decision to suspend me for six months and impose a fine of £75,000.

"Those who run the WPBSA have made it plain that if the sport is to advance it must be above reproach and those of us playing and involved in snooker must be cleaner than clean.

"Those who know me will appreciate I have tried to encourage and advance snooker and have also tried to be an ambassador for the sport."