A BOMB scare at Neros nightclub in Okehampton led to hundreds of club-goers having to leave the premises in the early hours of Sunday morning after management took the decision to evacuate the club and call the police.
The club-goers were later allowed back into the premises to collect their possessions after officers had declared the call to be a hoax.
A police spokesman said the search took around 20 minutes and added: ?people were co-operating in relation to the operation?.
The club had received a telephone call warning that there was a bomb in the premises at about 12.45am. Around 270 people were in the club at the time and were evacuated onto the street so that a full search of the premises could be made.
Police praised the management and staff at Neros for their quick action and the way they evacuated clubbers from the building.
A police spokesman said the telephone call was made from a telephone kiosk in the town centre.
He said making hoax calls, especially those involving a bomb threat, was treated as a ?very serious matter? and was an offence which can carry a lengthy imprisonable punishment.
Police have launched an investigation and are requesting help from the public to trace who was responsible for making the call.
Officers believe the bomb hoax could be linked to a previous incident where graffiti was sprayed on the wall of the nightclub on Thursday, September 9. The incident is believed to have taken place about midnight when a youth on a push bike was seen.
A notice has been posted outside Neros? door which reads: ?The management would like to apologise to all our customers whose enjoyment was cut short last Saturday night due to circumstances beyond our control.?
Neros owner David Francis said: ?The main thing is everybody got out. I was just so annoyed that a hoax like this has ruined people?s night.
?Everybody was having a great time and some idiot has to ruin it.?
Mr Francis said he was not going to let the incident stop him continuing to open the club and said it would be business as usual this weekend.
If anyone has any information about the person who made the hoax telephone call they should contact Okehampton Police on 08452 777444.