Shropshire darter Ted Hankey was today at the centre of a new storm – over his switch to the PDC.

Self-styled ‘King of darts’ Bobby George has accused him of being “a highwayman without a mask” after his controversial decision to leavethe BDO.

Colourful character George, a BBC TV pundit, fell out with Hankey after wrongly forecasting that he would lose his second round clash with Scott Waites at this year’s BDO world championship.

And he has now stoked the flames of animosity still further by blasting the Telford darter for holding the BDO to ransom

Hankey, from Aqueduct, played his semi-final clash with eventual champion Christian Kist after he was given a guarantee that rules which would have robbed him of his prizemoney if he defected to the PDC were waived.

“It wasn’t something he decided on the spur of the moment,” said George.

“He had obviously been approached, or tapped up, and he knew he was going.

“The rules state that if you reach the last four at the Lakeside, you have to come back the following year otherwise you have to pay back your prizemoney.

“But Ted has done a Dick Turpin on the BDO, only without the mask. He’s made £11,000 from reaching the semi-finals and he’s going to keep the swag.

“I like Ted, he’s not a bad guy, but you have to play by the rules and he’s held us to ransom.”

A spokesman for the BDO today confirmed to StarSport the drama that took place backstage before Hankey’s semi-final.

“Ted refused to play in the semi-final unless we amended his contract,” said the spokesman.

“We were up against it because this was two hours before he was due to be on BBC Television so it had to be done.”

Meanwhile, PDC supremo Barry Hearn has predicted that Hankey will be a huge hit after his switch.

“He’s a big character and he’s going to be a big success in the PDC circuit.”

See also:

• Defeated Ted Hankey quits BDO to switch to PDC Tour
• Ted Hankey through to darts semi-finals