Police stand during the evacuation the Maassilo concert venue
© Arie Kievit / AFPPolice stand during the evacuation the Maassilo concert venue after a rock concert was canceled in relation to a terror attack threat on August 23, 2017.
The driver of a van with Spanish license plates and gas canisters inside has been detained in Rotterdam, the mayor's office confirmed. The van was found where the venue where a concert was earlier canceled due to a "terrorist threat."

The mayor, Ahmed Aboutaleb, told a news conference that a vehicle with Spanish license plates and gas bottles was found near the Maassilo venue in the city, where a rock concert due to take place on Wednesday was canceled.

The driver of the van was detained and taken in for questioning.

Police did not mention the nature of the threat, but said their investigation was ongoing.

"Police took this information seriously enough that, after a discussion with the organizers, it was decided to cancel the event,'' the Rotterdam police said in their statement.

The tip-off on the threat came from the Spanish police.

A Californian band called the Allah-Lahs was due to play at the venue.

The Allah-Lahs, a four-piece band, told the Guardian newspaper last year that they wanted a "holy sounding" name for their group and didn't think it would offend Muslims. On Wednesday, they were escorted away from Maassilo while armed officers secured the perimeter.