Man charged over bomb hoax near Brisbane jazz club

A MAN has been charged with staging a bomb hoax at a jazz club that forced an inner Brisbane suburb into lockdown last night.

A MAN has been charged with staging an elaborate bomb hoax that forced an inner Brisbane suburb into lockdown last night.

Two men reportedly ran into the busy Jazz Club music venue in riverside Kangaroo Point about 8.30pm, shouting “there’s a bomb inside the toilets”.

It sparked a major police operation, with officers finding a device loaded with wires in the toilet block at Captain Burke Park.

Police inspect the device inside the toilet block.

An emergency situation was declared about 11pm, with police evacuating areas around nearby Holman St, including parts of the Brisbane River, and putting traffic diversions in place.

Specialist police were called to the scene and after examining the item it was declared safe. The emergency conditions were lifted shortly after 12.30am.

The pair who raised the alarm about the bomb were arrested at the scene.

This morning police said they had arrested a 28-year-old man from Deception Bay over the incident. He was charged with staging a bomb hoax and was due to appear at Brisbane Magistrates Court today.

A man is arrested at the scene.

A second man was questioned by police and released without charge.

Speaking to media at the scene last night, Inspector Sean Cryer said police had to treat such claims with caution.

“Police received a call that there were two male persons running around calling out ‘there is a bomb inside the toilet’,” he said.

“The toilet revealed a suspected improvised explosive device with wires coming out of it, with batteries coming out of it.

“We are obviously treating it with the utmost caution.”