Image: Twitter@hotwatercomedyclub''Someone thought it was live and grassed us up to the police.''
Police in the UK have accidentally raided a comedy club that was closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, after mistaking a recorded show being streamed on Facebook for a live event.
The Hot Water Comedy Club in Liverpool told Sky News that "around 20 officers" turned up to the venue on Saturday night after someone thought a show recorded from earlier this month was happening live.
As is the case in Ireland, large gatherings in the UK have been banned due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the government has warned people to stay at home in an effort to reduce the spread of the deadly virus.
The club has therefore been showing archive gigs on its Facebook page.
Tonight we streamed a show we filmed back on 7th March.
Someone thought it was live and grassed us up to the police, who sent 12 officers a van & a car to shut us down... ???
Anyway, if you want to watch the full show - https://t.co/DYTVErAfmv pic.twitter.com/b4fWJeUhoX
— Hot Water Comedy (@HWCCLiverpool) March 28, 2020
Speaking to Sky News, the club's owner said: "I was really surprised. The first we heard about it was when we got a call from the convenience store next door, saying a full police squad had turned up at the club''.
"I looked at our CCTV and saw about 20 police officers outside".
But he praised the police for turning up, saying: "Fair play for them doing that though, they were just doing their job and trying to keep people safe".
"I think it was a waste of their time, but I don't think whoever called them did it deliberately, I think it was just a misunderstanding."
