2AM: Last night's busy second anniversary party night at Auckland's Family nightclub was disrupted by a bomb scare, with hundreds of patrons cleared out onto the pavement for half an hour while a police search of the premises took place. Family bar owner Wayne Clark said the police search took place after 11pm, when the nightclub was still busy, but the evening's entertainment on stage had long finished. "We were all cleared out onto the street for about half an hour while a team of cops searched the place," he explains. "Someone had called from a payphone to say they'd put a bomb in Family." An Auckland Central Police spokesperson confirmed their station got several phone calls 'of a hoax nature': "They found the guy beside the phone box in question and took him into custody." It is not yet known if any charges have been laid. More details on the incident will be confirmed later this morning. Clark says most of the evacuated patrons returned to the nightclub once the police gave them the all-clear. The Family second birthday event was one of the busiest nights the venue had ever had, featuring a special two hours of complimentary drinks, sixteen different drag shows, a huge birthday cake and even an operatic singer. "We had a fabulous night," says the bar owner. The last time a gay nightclub in Auckland had to be evacuated was on 27th December 2004, when fire erupted in the entrance of 'Flesh' in O'Connell Street. It was thought a malicious attack had taken place, although Police and Flesh owner Nicholas Morgan were never able to clarify the origins of the blaze. Ref: GayNZ.com (m)