Man arrested in bomb hoax near G-7 summit

A man was arrested on Thursday after a bomb hoax in England near the site of the Group of Seven (G-7) Summit, which is set to take place on Friday.

Police, according to Reuters, said officers were called to a hotel in Falmouth at around 3:15 a.m. local time on a report of a suspicious package.

That hotel, according to the wire service, is where most members of the media are staying to cover the G-7 Summit. Authorities evacuated the hotel and surrounding properties, totaling approximately 100 people.

A Royal Navy bomb disposal unit responded to the scene and eventually determined the bomb to be unviable, the wire service reported.

A 20-year-old man from Falmouth was arrested on suspicion of a bomb hoax and is now in custody, according to Reuters.

The bomb scare comes one day before President Biden and other G-7 world leaders are set to meet in person in Cornwall for the first time in nearly two years.

Biden arrived in Britain on Wednesday evening, kicking off his first foreign trip as president.

A large security operation has been set in place for the G-7 Summit, according to Reuters, including approximately 5,000 police officers being drafted in from across Britain.

Additionally, police have closed down road and coastal paths to Carbis Bay, the small resort that is hosting the event, and assembled a steel fence surrounding the venue with armed officers on guard, Reuters reported.