Peter Kay Show Evacuated in Birmingham After Suspicious Bag Alert
Imagine being at a concert, enjoying your favorite comedian's jokes, when suddenly everything comes to a halt. That's exactly what happened to Peter Kay's audience at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham on Friday evening. It was about 45 minutes into Kay's performance when the show was stopped abruptly and the audience was asked to leave.
The reason behind the sudden evacuation was a suspicious bag that had been spotted. West Midlands Police were quickly called in to investigate, and they later confirmed that the venue had been searched and a 19-year-old man had been taken into custody. Fortunately, the investigation didn't take long, and the arena was later declared safe.
But what was it like for the people who were there? Steve Aspinall, who had traveled from Devon to see the show, told the BBC that it was a confusing and worrying experience. He said that at first, many people thought it was just part of the act, but when the lights came on and the crowd started to leave, everyone realized that something was seriously wrong. Aspinall said that the initial confusion gave way to concern, and people started to wonder if it was a bomb threat.
The incident has raised concerns about the safety and security of events in the UK. Just a day before, the UK's terror threat level was raised from "substantial" to "severe" following a stabbing in north London. The Utilita Arena has since issued a statement saying that the safety and security of their customers and colleagues is their top priority. The venue has promised to keep ticket holders informed about the situation.
The Better Late Than Never tour, which features Peter Kay, is still going ahead. Kay is due to perform at the arena again on Saturday evening, but it remains to be seen whether the show will go ahead as planned. The incident is still under investigation, and police are working to determine what happened.