Medal ceremonies at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham were postponed after a man was arrested on suspicion of fraud.<\/b><\/p>\n
Transport at the Alexander Stadium tournament was also suspended on Saturday as a result of the arrest and necessary security procedures.<\/p>\n
Members of the crowd reported being held outside by security staff for more than an hour after the event finished, with a large police presence at the scene.<\/p>\n
The evening session concluded with Great Britain winning a pair of gold medals in the men’s and women’s 4x100m relays.<\/p>\n
Tournament organisers said transport was suspended while the necessary security measures took place, but operations had returned to normal in the early hours of Sunday.<\/p>\n
A statement from Birmingham 2026 said: “The safety and wellbeing of our spectators, athletes, workforce and the wider Championships’ family will always be our first priority.<\/p>\n
“We recognise that the delays presented challenges for those affected and would like to thank everyone for their patience, understanding and cooperation throughout the evening.”<\/p>\n
More information relating to the postponed medal ceremonies is due to be released later.<\/p>\n
A West Midlands Police spokesperson confirmed that a man in his 30s remains in custody for questioning.<\/p>\n
The crowd at the Alexander Stadium appeared to be near its 23,000 capacity.<\/p>\n
At one point during the session, there was an announcement that the six medal ceremonies, scheduled to take place after the final event between 22:00 and 23:00 BST were cancelled, understood to be in relation to the police incident.<\/p>\n
People posted on social media, reporting “crazy queues” for the shuttle bus and blue flashing lights on the main road outside the stadium.<\/p>\n
A statement on the event’s official account, posted on X at 23:03, said: “We apologise for the significant delays in leaving the Alexander Stadium venue this evening.<\/p>\n
“Buses and coaches will start to arrive and departures will begin to gradually take place.<\/p>\n
“We thank you for your patience with this matter. Please listen to the instructions from the safety personnel and marshals who are there to support you.”<\/p>\n
Source: bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"