A man has been arrested and charged at the Australian Open for ‘courtsiding’, a form of gambling that involves placing bets on point outcomes during a match from the side of the court, police said on Wednesday.

A 22-year-old Briton was observed by police during a game on Tuesday afternoon and arrested at Melbourne Park around 5:30 pm local time (0630 GMT), a statement posted on the Victoria state police website on Wednesday said.

"He was charged with one count of engaging in conduct that would corrupt a betting outcome," the statement said, and bailed to appear before the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Thursday.

"We will be monitoring matches for the remainder of the tournament, so if you're thinking of engaging in this kind of behaviour, think again," deputy commissioner Graham Ashton said.

Image: Tennis fans watch the action on Rod Laver Arena during day two of the 2014 Australian = Open

Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images