Man accused of Peter Kay bomb hoax is removed from court

A man accused of carrying out a bomb hoax at a show by comedian Peter Kay was removed from a magistrates court today after repeated outbursts during the hearing.

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Omar Majed, 19, from Saltley, Birmingham, stands charged with communicating false information to police and was remanded in custody by magistrates.

Majed allegedly "barged" his way into Birmingham's Utilita Arena without a ticket on Friday.

He is then alleged to have told a police constable and others that a bomb was inside the venue.

Prosecutor Ros Buttler said the incident led to the evacuation of thousands of fans from the arena and "serious repercussions" for the event, which is estimated to have drawn a crowd of around 13,000 people.

Kay was around 45 minutes into the comedy set of his "Better Late Than Never" national tour at the time of the incident.

West Midlands Police told media that "nothing suspicious was found" in a search of the venue.

At today's hearing, Majed gave no indication of a plea in relation to the charge.

On more than one occasion, he was asked to be quiet by District Judge Michelle Smith and to continue sitting down.

Majed was eventually removed from the dock.

He will next appear at Birmingham Crown Court on June 1.

The venue has stated: “Following the precautionary evacuation of Utilita Arena Birmingham during Peter Kay’s performance last night, Friday 1st May, we can confirm that tonight’s Peter Kay event, Saturday 2nd May, at Utilita Arena Birmingham will go ahead as planned.

“Following an extensive search by West Midlands Police, no items of a suspicious nature were found, and the building was determined to be safe.

“West Midlands Police are satisfied with the security measures in place.

“We would like to thank the attendees of yesterday’s Peter Kay event for their cooperation, which ensured a swift and safe evacuation.

“Ticket holders for yesterday’s Peter Kay performance will be contacted with the next steps from their original point of purchase.

“At Utilita Arena Birmingham, the safety and security of our customers and colleagues is always our first priority.

“Our security measures include several overt and covert security measures, so whilst you may not see all operational security activity, you should be assured that it is ongoing.

“Our Evolv security system uses advanced sensors and AI technology to screen everyone and their bags as they enter the arena, helping security teams identify potential threats quickly and accurately, supported by additional bag searches as required.”