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Peter Kay is forced to cancel two shows on the Manchester leg of his tour with less than 24 hours notice

Peter Kay's huge gig at Manchester's brand new Co-op Live arena has been cancelled, just hours before the comedian was due to take to the stage.

This comes after problems with power at the site, which are believed to have affected the fire safety and emergency services communication systems, led to bosses slashing attendance from around 11,000 to 4,000 at Saturday night's test event - less than two hours before it was due to start. Manchester City Council's building control department cannot issue a completion certificate while work is still ongoing at the site, which is understood to include corridors and wiring. A Co-op Live spokesman said: 'Opening a venue of this size requires working very closely with multiple stakeholders and responsible authorities to deliver against a rigorous set of guidelines and protocols.

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