Somerset pub asks customers to turn off phones for national alert

The pub's owner doesn't want customers to be disturbed by the siren

A pub owner is asking people to switch their phones off on Sunday ahead of the government's emergency alert system.

Sarah Bird, the landlady at the Camelot Pub in Somerset says she does not want the siren disturbing the peace.

A message will appear on the home screens of mobile phones and tablets at 15:00 BST accompanied by a loud siren-like sound or vibration.

In future, the Emergency Alerts system will be used to warn of life-threatening emergencies.

Ms Bird said she would be asking anyone whose phone goes off to make a donation to the Alzheimer's Society.

"We were watching a news programme the other day and they played the alarm and one of our dogs reacted really badly to it," Ms Bird told BBC Radio Somerset.

"That was where we got the idea and we've had a few locals suggest that they don't want to hear the alarm and they are quite happy for it to be banned."

Phone users can swipe away the alert message or click "OK" on their home screen to continue using their phone as normal.

The alert system will be used to warn of extreme weather events, such as flash floods or wildfires. It could also be used during terror incidents or civil defence emergencies if the UK was under attack.

This could cover situations in the South West like recent flooding in Mid Devon in January 2023, coastal storm damage from Storm Eunice in February 2022 or the extreme waves affecting Dawlish and the South Devon coastline in February 2014.

Executive Director for Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management at the Environment Agency, Caroline Douglass, commented:

"Being able to communicate warnings in a timely and accurate manner during incidents is really important to help people take action to protect themselves, their families, and their neighbours."

Working with mobile broadcasting technology, Emergency Alerts will provide a means to get urgent messages quickly to nearly 90% of mobile phones in a defined area where there is risk to life, and provide clear instructions about how best to respond.

Other countries around the world use Emergency Alerts, including the United States, the Netherlands and Japan.