English darts star Lorraine Winstanley has said the BDO's slashing of world championship prize money prior to the tournament was 'disheartening'.

The 44-year-old reached the final of the 2019 tournament, only to be beaten by Mikuru Suzuki.

But this year she suffered a straight sets quarter-final defeat to eventual runner-up Lisa Ashton.

And Winstanley recently admitted that the cutting of the prize fund from £12,000 to £8,000 for the winner was something that played on her mind.

She said: "We were promised almost double the prize-fund earlier in the year. To get a call just a few days before the tournament starts to say 'you're actually playing for less than you were last year' and not sure on how much that would be was disheartening.

"As much as you are playing for the title, the pennies have to come along with that because it costs so much to do the tour and to try to achieve your dream - with the world championships being the prize at the end of it. We would all like to be world champion but the title doesn't pay the bills.

"It costs so much to get there, there should be a decent financial reward at the end of it.

The men's draw was reduced by an even greater margin as the tournament confirmed its lowest prize money since 1989.

"I initially thought the ladies were being hard-done-by until I realised what the men were getting - the men's draw really did take a hit and I feel for them," added Winstanley.

"To get £23,000 when you were promised £100,000 - that was heartbreaking."