Tom Jones has recalled how he kept his wife in the dark about a bomb scare in Belfast because he did not want to frighten her.

The Welsh pop star was due to go on stage at the King’s Hall when he was advised to remain in his hotel due to a “technical hitch”.

But the Welsh singer found out that the real reason he was being kept there was because of a bomb scare. When his wife asked him what was happening, he told her there were technical problems.

“They told me that the King’s Hall wasn’t ready for us, but I found out that wasn’t the reason at all,” he said.

“My wife kept asking me what was going on, but it wasn’t until we got back to our hotel after the show that I told her the truth.

“The whole place had to be emptied, but everyone was allowed back in again.

“I didn’t want to scare her though, so I told her it was a technical problem and that’s why we had to stay at the hotel.”

The show did go on eventually and Jones said it turned out to be a brilliant night.

And he said that he had always loved playing Belfast, even at the height of the Troubles.

“You can’t hold an audience responsible for what a few people were doing.

“I’ve always had a great welcome in Belfast.”

Jones, who’s playing Dublin this week as part of the Arthur Day celebrations, will be back in Belfast next month, when he performs at the Odyssey Arena on October 27. “I’ve been rehearsing all week with a great European band,” he said.

“I’ll be doing some stuff from my album 24 Hours as well as plenty of the old hits too.”

The singing legend, who is planning a new album for early next year, said he hoped to see a good cross section of people at his Belfast show.