I AM an avid fan of the World Snooker Championship on the BBC.

What I do not like however is the need for the BBC to use 15 presenters and commentators, all commanding high fees.

The list gets longer every year.

And why do the commentators find it necessary to talk while the frame is being played?

The word commentator is derived from the word comment and is described in the dictionary as “a brief statement or opinion”, not a continuous diatribe of inane talk.

I have been playing and watching snooker for 60 years and I do not need the likes of Willie Thorne, Neil Foulds and John Virgo to tell me which ball is going to be potted, which cushion it is going to bounce off and which pocket it will go into.

I have got to the stage now where I tend to use the mute button on the remote more and more, or switch to the red button channel, at least I don’t have to listen to inter-frame gossip from Hazel Irvine and Jason Mohammed trying to justify their existence.

Please BBC tell the commentators to cut down on the verbal rubbish and concentrate on the relevant facts. We don’t need them.

Cyril Humphrey, Bishop Auckland.