UK NEWS

SNOOKER ACE HENDRY’S DRINK-DRIVE ‘DARE’

CRITICISED: Stephen Hendry

Wednesday April 30,2008

By George Mair

SCOTS snooker star Stephen Hendry was criticised yesterday after he admitted driving a taxi while drunk.

The seven-times world champion revealed his wild side by confessing he once went on a bender with fellow player Mark Williams in Thailand.

Hendry said he bribed a Bangkok taxi driver to hand over his keys so he could drive through one of the city’s busiest streets.

Road safety and motoring groups last night attacked the star over his confession, claiming the role model was setting a bad example. Hendry explained: “The two of us had lost in the tournament and been out and had a few drinks. He dared me to do it. We were hailing taxis to try to get them to let me drive.

“Finally we found a guy and paid him and he sat in the back and let me drive it back to the hotel.

“It sobered me up. I’ll never do it again.”

But Neil Greig, director of the IAM Motoring Trust, said: “There is no excuse for drink-driving. Stephen Hendry may have a reputation for being boring in his sport but to drink-drive as a dare is really stupid.”

Willie Wills, road safety manager with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents in Scotland, said: “People look up to Stephen as a role model and we hope no one would seek to emulate this kind of activity.

“It is irrelevant that it took place in another country – drink-driving is unacceptable anywhere.”

Speaking on Radio Scotland’s Pain of the Game, to be broadcast on May 8, Hendry also reveals his wife Mandy and his manager Ian Doyle have never got on since Doyle banned the young player from seeing her.

Hendry said Mandy’s relationship with Doyle was just like Victoria Beckham’s with husband David’s old Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

He said: “It’s fair to say he is not her favourite person in the world.

“She gets on with him fine but they have never had a cosy relationship and I don’t think they ever will.”