Snooker star Stephen Lee today admitted he was in shock after being arrested on suspicion of match-fixing.

Father-of-four Lee, 35, was held as part of a joint operation with the Gambling Commission which is probing bets placed on him to lose.

It makes him the latest in a string of top-flight players to be investigated over unusual betting patterns.

But speaking from his home in Trowbridge today Lee said: ''I got home really late last night.

''I will say that I was treated really badly yesterday, so I'm still in a bit of shock.''

Lee was once ranked world No5 but is now 25th, making just £50,000 prize money last year. In 2000, he had to return £7,500 winnings after testing positive for marijuana.

Speaking on behalf of Lee, manager Paul Mount said: ''He's dumbfounded that he's been arrested at all, and so am I.

''I've been working with Stephen now for about a year and never ever did I or anybody else in our organisation or any of the other players involved in our team of players, not one of us ever thought Stephen was involved in something like that.

''It's come as a real shock to all of us. And I one hundred per cent support Stephen and believe that he has not been involved in any way with any cheating or betting irregularities.

''He's a lovely man. If you go back a few seasons Stephen was provisionally number one in the world.

''He's had a bit of a bad run and at the moment he's down at number 25 in the world.

''He's working his socks off to try and get back up the rankings, so the last thing he's going to want to do is be throwing frames away.

''He wants to get back into the top 16, and he's not going to do anything to jeopardise that.''

Lee was arrested by West Midlands police on Thursday as part of a two-year investigation into match fixing.

A statement from Mr Lee's management company, On Q Promotions, said: ''On Q Promotions can confirm, as Stephen Lee's management company, that Stephen Lee was taken to a West Midlands police station for questioning on Thursday 11th February 2010.

''Stephen cooperated fully with the police inquiry and was released without charge. He does not expect any charge to be made and denies any involvement with cheating or betting irregularities.

Stephen is now concentrating on practicing hard to achieve qualification for the World Championships and to fulfill all of his exhibition commitments.''

* Last year Stephen Maguire, 28, and Jamie Burnett, 34, were quizzed on alleged fixing of a UK Championship game in Telford, Shrops.