Bath rugby club has postponed the disciplinary hearing for Kevin Yates, the prop forward accused of biting the London Scottish flanker, Simon Fenn, during a cup match.

The hearing was scheduled for Tuesday but has now been put back to February 3 on legal advice from Michael Burton QC who was appointed by Bath to chair the meeting.

Yates remains suspended on full pay, which means he will miss Saturday's Tetley's Bitter Cup fifth-round tie against Richmond and the Heineken Cup final appointment with European champions Brive the following weekend.

He has denied biting Fenn's ear.

The England coach, Clive Woodward, is backing the England player pending the result of the disciplinary hearing. Yates was originally named in the 24-man England squad but has stayed away from the England training camp at Bisham Abbey because of the media interest in the case.

Simon Fenn needed more than two dozen stitches in the wound

Fenn, who required more than two dozen stitches in his ripped ear, says that he has suffered some hearing loss since the incident.

His club also said that he was upset at suggestions in a national newspaper that the injury may have been caused by a boot stud and not a bite.

London Scottish originally cited Yates together with his front-row colleagues Federico Mendez and Victor Ubogu, although Scottish protests against Mendez and Ubogu have since been dropped.

Bath director, Thomas Sheppard, said: "We are obviously disappointed that the hearing has been postponed. We are trying to resolve this issue as soon as possible.

"However, the Bath club is grateful to Michael Burton, who totally supports our request that all evidence must be provided for a fair hearing to take place."

The Rugby Football Union has also pledged to investigate, although it is unlikely that it will be able to make any deliberations until Bath has fully debated the matter.

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