Man charged after bomb hoax at Peter Kay show in Birmingham

A 19-year-old man has been charged after a bomb hoax led to the evacuation of a Peter Kay show at Utilita Arena Birmingham on Friday night.

West Midlands Police said Omar Majed, of Washwood Heath, Birmingham, has been charged with false communications and is due to appear before magistrates in the city on Monday.

The venue was cleared after a report of a suspicious bag being left in the area.

Police said nothing suspicious was found after searches, and the comedian was about 45 minutes into his set when the show was stopped.

The incident caused disruption for ticket holders and prompted a security response at one of Birmingham's major entertainment venues.

The NEC Group said on Friday that ticket holders would be contacted with next steps by the outlet they bought their tickets from.

The case matters because it involved a large public venue being evacuated during a live performance, with police treating the report as a potential threat before confirming there was no suspicious item.

Utilita Arena Birmingham later thanked attendees for their cooperation and outlined security measures in place at the venue.

Police also said their priority was public safety.

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