Medal ceremonies at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham were postponed on Saturday evening and transport was suspended after a man was arrested on suspicion of fraud, leaving fans and athletes stranded at Alexander Stadium.
Athletes started queuing for official transport at 10.15pm but many did not arrive back at their hotels until 12.45am on Sunday, with some set to compete again on Sunday night.
Britain’s triple gold medallist Amy Hunt was among those caught up in the chaos, with her quest for a quartet of European titles continuing in the mixed 4x100m relay on the final day of the event.
Tournament organisers said transport operations had returned to normal in the early hours of Sunday.
A statement from Birmingham 2026 read: “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.
“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.
“Further information will be issued on Sunday relating to the evening’s postponed medal ceremonies.”
A West Midlands Police spokesperson confirmed that a man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of fraud and remained in custody for questioning.
The crowd at the Alexander Stadium appeared to be near its 23,000 capacity to watch Saturday’s evening session, which concluded with Great Britain winning a pair of gold medals in the men’s and women’s 4x100m relays.
At one point during the session, there was an announcement that the six medal ceremonies, scheduled to take place after the final event between 10pm and 11pm, were cancelled.
Outside, there was a visibly heavy police presence and huge static queues of people waiting for shuttle buses.
Alex Ridout wrote on X: “Crazy queues for the shuttle bus after tonight’s European Athletics Championships session.
“Definitely seems like something has gone on that has potentially caused blockages, with blue flashing lights seen on the main road outside Alexander Stadium.”
Susie Barnacle wrote on X that she had been “waiting for nearly two hours to leave” and described “armed police at the buses”, adding: “We were told precisely nothing!”
A statement on the event’s official account, posted on X at 11:03pm, read: “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.”