ATHLETES, coaches, officials, staff and thousands of fans were delayed leaving the Alexander Stadium for hours on Saturday night after a major police incident.

Three-time gold medal-winning sprinter was among those caught up in the chaos in the Perry Barr area following the conclusion to the evening’s programme of athletics.

European Athletics ChampionshipsAmy Hunt was caught up in the chaos Credit: Reuters A crowd of people gathered outside at night.There were huge queues outside the Alexander Stadium Credit: SunSport

Armed police closed down local streets and stopped buses that were waiting to transport people back to Birmingham City Centre.

One prominent athletics figure said he was waiting for a 10.15pm bus, alongside , but only got back to his hotel at 12.45am.

World CEO Jon Ridgeon and personnel working on the European Championships were all delayed amid the chaos.

West Midlands Police said a man in his thirties was “arrested on suspicion of fraud” and he remained in custody for questioning.

Confused spectators had to wait in the fields outside of the arena for hours as they waited to board buses back to their cars.

And many of them complained about the lack of communication and stewards as they waited patiently for the police clearance.

A statement by organisers said: “Birmingham 2026 can confirm that transport operations have returned to normal following a police incident on Saturday evening.

“Championship transport was suspended until the necessary security measures had been carried out whilst West Midlands Police arrested a man in his thirties on suspicion of fraud.

27th European Athletics Championships - Birmingham 2026: Day FourSpectators faced a long wait after another day of European Championships action Credit: Getty

“The safety and wellbeing of our spectators, athletes, workforce and the wider 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.”

The medal ceremonies planned for Saturday night were postponed as a result of the security episode.

Angry Joanne Ray from Hampshire – who had spent thousands to attend the with her husband Ian – claimed there were women and children stranded without transportation back to their cars.

She said: “It was an absolute embarrassment. There were all nationalities.

“We were given no information. We asked the bus guys, and they kept saying the buses are coming, there’s 50 buses, and that was at 9.50pm.

“And we did not physically get on a bus until 11.15pm.

“There were mothers with babies strapped in carriers, disabled people in electric wheelchairs.

27th European Athletics Championships - Birmingham 2026: Day FourFurious fans were forced to be patient as they exited the Alexander Stadium Credit: Getty A night shot of a playground area with a crowd of people in the background.Buses were stopped due to a major police incident Credit: SunSport

“They were absolutely frozen. And we were given no information. An absolute shambles.

“It was awful. And we’ve been to this stadium many times.

“We came to the , we’ve been to other events here, and it’s always run smoothly. But tonight was an absolute disaster.”

Ian Ray said: “Volunteers? Yeah, they disappeared. The queues were there so long – there were 1000s of people.”