The Simon Fenn ear-biting saga has taken a new twist after a surgeon said that no teeth marks were found when the player was examined.

Philip Bliss, Bath's honorary surgeon, is reported as saying that from conversations he had with the person who examined Fenn he understood "there was no evidence that it was a bite."

Bliss, who has held the position at Bath for 17 years, liaised with surgeon Cledwyn Jones, who saw the London Scottish flanker after the incident during the clubs' fourth-round Tetley's Bitter Cup match.

"Mr Jones told me there were no teeth marks, and his impression that there was no tissue loss was confirmed by plastic surgeons at Roehampton, who spoke to him on Sunday," Bliss told The Times newspaper.

A close-up of Fenn's torn ear

Bliss added: "There was no tissue loss. The point is, as far as I understand, and having discussed this at length with Mr Jones, there is no evidence that it was a bite.

"In basic terms the only person who has said it was a bite was Fenn. It is perfectly arguable it could have been a stud and it is also consistent with him having been caught on some other hard object."

Bliss agreed it could have been the heel or cap of a boot.

After the game, London Scottish cited the entire Bath front row and urged the player responsible for the "bite" to come forward. The Bath prop Victor Ubogu has complained about the suspicion falling on him, and although he was later cleared he said he would be taking legal advice about the matter.

The other prop, Kevin Yates, remains suspended on full pay pending the outcome of Bath's inquiry into the incident. He has been summoned to attend the hearing on Tuesday.

In a statement the Bath club said: "The club is continuing to gather evidence from its own sources and is co-operating fully with London Scottish. All evidence will be passed on to the RFU."

Yates has withdrawn from the England training sessions but has the backing of the national coach Clive Woodward.

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