Thousands of Peter Kay fans were evacuated from his show at Birmingham's Utilita Arena last night after a bomb hoax, with a 19-year-old man arrested and remaining in custody.
Chaos at the Arena
The comedian had been performing for around 45 minutes when armed police entered the venue and he was rushed off stage. An announcer then told the audience: 'Ladies and gentleman, due to unforeseen circumstances, we're going to have to stop the show. So if we can put the house lights up, and can you please follow the instructions given to you from the house staff, stewards and security.'
The announcement caused confusion, with one fan heard asking: 'Is this a joke?' Many wondered if it was part of Kay's act.
Arrest and Police Statement
West Midlands Police confirmed a 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a bomb hoax offence and remains in custody this morning. Following a search of the arena, no suspicious items were found.
A police spokesperson said: 'Following searches of the Utilita Arena last night no items of a suspicious nature were found. A 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a bomb hoax offence and remains in custody this morning as our enquiries continue. We're grateful to everyone for their co-operation and understanding. As always our priority is the safety of the public.'
Fan Reactions
One fan who travelled to the show with her partner described the experience as 'surreal and weird'. She told BirminghamLive: 'People didn't know if originally it was part of the act when he got ushered off the stage. Everyone left calmly, eventually, and once everyone was outside the staff shut the doors and people didn't know what to do so most people just left. I think people were getting scared. We left through a car park attached to the arena. There were a lot of police.'
The incident occurred at the Utilita Arena in Brindleyplace, with the show ending abruptly. Fans were evacuated safely, and police have thanked the public for their cooperation.
