A 19-year-old man has been charged with making a bomb hoax after a Peter Kay concert in Birmingham was evacuated on Friday evening. The Utilita Arena Birmingham was cleared following a report of a suspicious bag near the venue.
West Midlands police confirmed that Omar Majed, from Washwood Heath, Birmingham, was charged with false communications relating to a bomb hoax. He has been remanded to appear before magistrates on 4 May.
The evacuation occurred about 45 minutes into Kay's performance. Audience members reported that two event staff approached the comedian on stage, whispered to him, and he was quickly ushered off. The crowd was then asked to leave without explanation.
Steve Aspinall, a concertgoer, initially thought the interruption was part of the show. Another attendee, Miranda Richardson, described the evacuation as swift. Police later confirmed that nothing suspicious was found after searches.
The arena stated that the evacuation was a precautionary measure on police advice, emphasising that the safety of customers and colleagues was the highest priority. The venue was declared secure after the incident.
