Fans have described their frightening experience at last night's Peter Kay gig which was evacuated after security discovered a suspicious bag.
Just days after the UK raised its terror threat level to severe, the comedian's gig was brought to an abrupt halt in Birmingham on Friday (1 May) night.
The Phoenix Nights star was rushed off the stage with comedy fans also evacuated from the Utilita Arena as quickly as possible, which thankfully meant that there were no injuries or casualties of any kind.
Police have since confirmed that a 19-year-old has been arrested after the 'suspicious package' was discovered, which naturally has left a lot of fans concerned about a potential close call, particularly after the horrifying events in Manchester back in 2017.
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Speaking to the Daily Mail, fans have described the 'anxiety, panic and tears' which occurred as they were led out of the arena to safety.
Emily Wilson, who attended with her mother Rayner, said: "We were watching the show for about 40 minutes, everyone was laughing and suddenly Peter gets escorted off stage and a stage hand comes on to tell us to evacuate the premises immediately and to follow orders from the arena staff.
"Everyone fell quiet and confused. My mother, a retired police officer, was immediately scanning and looking for an exit point. Unfortunately, we were at the top, so we knew it would take a while to leave.
She continued: "As we got out, I immediately started to panic when I saw road closures outside the arena steps and emergency vehicles.
"I then heard an emergency worker say bomb scare at that point my mother and I looked for a road where there were no large crowds, and I started running.
"After five minutes, when we got to what felt like a safer area, even though we could hear sirens and see a lot of emergency vehicles, I burst into tears and felt very sick, my heart racing.
"'An evening we so looked forward to. With tickets raising money to cancer. A charity close to our hearts. Instead, an evening supposed to be full of laughter was filled with anxiety, panic and tears."
Police confirmed last night that they were carrying out an evacuation at the venue after the discovery of a suspicious bag, which another witness suggested had been left in a toilet by a man who ran into the arena without a ticket, as per The Sun.
In an update on Saturday morning, police confirmed that it was a hoax.
They wrote: “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 inquiries continue.
“We’re grateful to everyone for their co-operation and understanding. As always our priority is the safety of the public.”
Bosses at the arena said: "Utilita Arena Birmingham has been evacuated as a precaution on the advice of West Midlands Police after a potential suspicious bag was found nearby.
“The safety and security of our customers and colleagues is our highest priority. We can confirm everyone was safely evacuated and that the venue is secure.
“Ticket holders will be contacted directly in due course.”
Kay is currently scheduled to perform at the arena again tonight (2 May).
Topics: Peter Kay
James Moorhouse