Omar Majed, 19, of Washwood Heath in Birmingham has been charged with false communications after a bomb hoax disrupted a concert by comedian Peter Kay at Utilita Arena on Friday night. According to West Midlands Police, the venue was evacuated and searches were conducted following reports of a suspicious bag left near the arena.
Key Takeaways
A 19-year-old man has been charged with false communications after a bomb hoax disrupted a Peter Kay concert at Utilita Arena Birmingham. The venue was evacuated during the performance but no suspicious items were found.
- Omar Majed, 19, of Washwood Heath in Birmingham, is charged over the incident
- Concertgoers were evacuated without immediate explanation during Kay's performance
- Police confirmed no suspicious items were discovered after thorough searches
- Utilita Arena Birmingham reassured attendees that Saturday’s show would proceed as planned with additional security measures
The incident occurred approximately 45 minutes into Kay’s performance, prompting staff to quickly usher him off stage and evacuate attendees. Witnesses reported that two members of staff approached Kay before he was escorted away from the audience. One attendee described initial confusion as they were instructed to leave without immediate explanation. Police confirmed no suspicious items were found after thorough searches.
According to The Guardian, Majed remains in custody and is expected to appear before magistrates on Monday. The police statement emphasized their priority of public safety, expressing gratitude for the cooperation from concertgoers during the evacuation process. Utilita Arena Birmingham reassured attendees that Saturday’s show would proceed as planned with additional security measures implemented.
Peter Kay's Better Late Than Never tour is ongoing, with all proceeds benefiting 12 leading cancer charities. The comedian has upcoming performances scheduled in Belfast, Liverpool, Sheffield, and Leeds. Ticket holders for the disrupted show have been advised they will be contacted regarding their next steps.
How this summary was created
This summary synthesizes reporting from 5 independent publishers using AI. All sources are cited and linked below. NewsBalance is a news aggregator and media literacy tool, not a news publisher. AI-generated content may contain errors or inaccuracies — always verify important information with the original sources.