Medal ceremonies at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham were postponed on Saturday evening after a man was arrested on suspicion of fraud, with spectators held at the venue for more than an hour.
West Midlands Police said concerns were raised when a man was found in a section of Alexander Stadium on Saturday evening without the necessary accreditation. He was arrested on suspicion of fraud, and the arrest led to immediate security checks that included the suspension of transport at the championships.
Spectators were kept outside the stadium by security staff for more than an hour after the final event of the evening. A large police presence remained visible at the scene.
The evening session had ended with Great Britain winning gold medals in both the men’s and women’s 4×100 metre relays.
Organisers said transport had been suspended while the necessary security measures were carried out, but confirmed that operations had returned to normal in the early hours of Sunday. In a statement, Birmingham 2026 said: “The safety and wellbeing of our spectators, athletes, workforce and the wider Championships’ family will always be our first priority. 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.”
A West Midlands Police spokesperson said a man in his 30s remained in custody for questioning. Additional information about the postponed medal ceremonies is expected to be made available later.
The crowd at Alexander Stadium appeared to be close to its 23,000 capacity. During the session, an announcement said the six medal ceremonies scheduled to take place between 22:00 and 23:00 BST had been cancelled, a decision understood to be related to the police incident.
On social media, attendees reported “crazy queues” for shuttle buses and noted blue flashing lights on the road beside the stadium. The event’s official X account posted at 23:03: “We apologise for the significant delays in leaving the Alexander Stadium venue this evening. Buses and coaches will start to arrive and departures will begin to gradually take place. 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.”
Police have not released further details about the arrest, and organisers say more information on the postponed medal ceremonies will be provided later.
