Emergency alert test – live: Second alarm shock as investigation launched

Users ‘scared to death’ by 2.30am alert

Moment emergency alert test goes off at London Marathon

It was a patchy launch for the test of the government’s new emergency alert system, with reports of some users being woken up by the booming alarm in the early hours of Monday morning.

While the alert was scheduled to go out at 3pm on Sunday, some people said they did not receive the notification, while others reported the alert arriving early or late.

One mobile user told The Independent they had not received the alert on Sunday afternoon, but 2.30am on Monday.

Others took to social media with similar tales, with one user exclaiming: “Why have I just received a 2nd severe alert notification at 2:30 am? Nightmare!

“Scared me to death!!” they added.

Professor of telecommunications, Nigel Linge, said that it is not surprising the emergency alert did not work “perfectly”.

Speaking to Good Morning Britain, he said: “It is not unusual that a test of this type did not work perfectly. That is what you expect. I don’t think anyone in the mobile phone industry would be surprised that it wasn’t perfect.”

The Cabinet Office said it would be reviewing the outcome of the UK-wide test of the new emergency alert system.

Key Points

• Emergency alert: Users ‘scared to death’ after second alarm booms at 2.30am
• Government reveals why phone users received alarm at different times
• Emergency alert goes off minute early for some - and not at all for others
• Government to review outcome of emergency alert test
• ‘This sound could save your life,’ claims government minister

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