Spate of bomb scares causes chaos

A bomb scare early yesterday morning led to traffic chaos between Antwerp and Brussels as the A12 motorway between the cities had to be closed. Police closed the motorway after a telephone warning that a bomb had been placed in the Carré dance hall in Willebroek (pictured).

The building was filled with about 500 revellers who police evacuated at about 6.00. The building was searched with sniffer dogs, but nothing was found.

Another hoax on Saturday night led to the evacuation of 2,500 people attending a party at the Brussels Event Brewery in the Molenbeek district. Three more bomb threats caused chaos across Brussels during the course of Monday.

In the first scare, the American embassy was put on alert after a man parked a car in front of the building and fled the scene. In a second incident, several judicial buildings on Poelaertplein were evacuated, including the main law courts, after police noticed a suspicious white van parked outside the federal justice building.

The European Parliament was also evacuated as a precautionary measure after a Slovakian man dressed in a military uniform was arrested outside the parliament building. He was found to have a chain saw and a gun in his car, but no explosives. According to VRT news, he told police that he wanted to meet the European president.

The police have been stretched in recent days by a surge in the number of bomb threats. Some 35 such warnings have been made since the terror threat level was raised last month in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo massacre and the shooting of two terrorists in Verviers.

The authorities have warned that anyone convicted of a bomb threat risks a maximum two-year jail sentence along with a massive bill for costs for police and emergency services.