BRITS BETS TO BE BANNED BY BOOKMAKERS?

Bookies have stopped taking bets on the Brits amid fears a result has been leaked. A flurry of punts on Paul Weller to win Best Male Solo Artist were placed in just a few hours yesterday at William Hill shops. Each was around 50 and placed at different sites across London, making them virtually untraceable.

The firm has now been forced to slash the star's odds from 5/1 outsider to favourite at 1/5 on. A source said: "This kind of betting behaviour only happens when someone knows something."

Ladbrokes, Paddy Power and Tote were offering no odds on any category yesterday as Britain's other major bookmakers followed Hill's lead.

The Voting Academy for the Brits is made up of 1,000 people from the music industry. The votes are collected online, counted and independently verified by official scrutinisers.

A Brits spokesman said: "Every precaution is taken to keep results under lock and key." He refused to say who would be privy to the information once votes were cast. But a source added: "Somebody obviously got some information they thought was true."

Other nominees for Best Male are Ian Brown, James Morrison, The Streets and Will Young. William Hill is still taking bets on Best Single, voted for by the public.

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