450 comedy fans evacuated

Hundreds of people have been evacuated from a comedy show after pepper spray was apparently released into the theatre.

Comic Cedric The Entertainer immediately pulled his show after the audiences starting coughing, choking and suffering from watery eyes.

Around 450 people were ushered out of the Improv Comedy Theatre in Tempe, Arizona, because of the scare att 11pm on Monday. Three of them were treated for their symptoms.

Firefighters say they smelled pepper spray, but tests could not confirm its presence.

The theatre’s general manager, Dan Mer, told The Arizona Republic: "We erred on the side of caution. We wanted to make sure that no one gets hurt.

 "The Fire Department was amazing," he said. "They evacuated the room very quickly and calmly."

Published: 19 May 2004