A teenager has been arrested on suspicion of abomb hoax offenceafter aPeter Kaygig was evacuated.
The show was stopped and the audience evacuated at Utilita Arena on Friday night after reports of a suspicious bag. The comedian was also ushered off stage mid-performance.
Police said on Saturday that no suspicions items have been found.
West Midlands Policesaid in a statement: “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.”
Doors opened at 6pm before the show began around 8pm.
Witnesses said two members of staff came onto the stage about 45 minutes into the performance, whispered into Kay’s ear, and then escorted him off.
Footage on social media showed people queueing to leave their seats as part of the evacuation. A video from outside the venue showed police vehicles and flashing lights.
Advertisement
Steve Aspinall, who was at the gig with his wife, said: “Two guys came on, one with a mic and headphones, one guy whispered to Peter Kay and then he and Peter Kay shot off down the side.”
He said the audience was told to look for security guards and listen out for any announcements.
“To be honest, I thought it was part of the show at first,” Mr Aspinall, who lives in Bideford, Devon, said.
“It was a strange atmosphere, eerie, just confused really (about) what was happening.
“But it was alright and everyone was calm and left quite quickly with no panic.”
A spokesperson for the arena said that the evacuation was precautionary on advice of the force and ticket holders would be contacted in due course.
The arena, which can seat around 15,800 people, was set to host Mr Kay as part of his latest tour across the UK and Ireland, with allprofits donated to 12 leading cancer charities.
The charities are: Children With Cancer UK, Teenage Cancer Trust, Kidney Cancer UK, Blood Cancer UK, Bowel Cancer UK, Prostate Cancer UK, DKMS UK, Ovarian Cancer Action, Pancreatic Cancer UK, Anthony Nolan, The Brain Tumour Charity and Breast Cancer UK.
The comedian said last year: “Unfortunately, everybody knows someone who’s been affected on that list, and I just hope people support it. Come to the shows. That’s why I’m here.”
Mr Kay became a household name following his early 2000s TV creation,Phoenix Nights.He has since starred in other sitcoms includingPeter Kay’s Car Share.