Labour blasted over 'dangerous' emergency alert decision as sirens send repeated messages

Labour have been blasted over a "dangerous" emergency alert decision made yesterday as the siren message was sent multiple times.

The notification, intended to reach all residents at 7pm with guidance against lighting fires in open spaces such as parks, moorland and woodland, continued sounding on numerous devices as late as 11pm — a full four hours after the initial broadcast.

It represented the most extensive deployment of the alert technology since its introduction in 2023, reaching millions of handsets nationwide.

The repeated alerts were attributed to the Government transmitting the signal over an extended window to maximise reach. Factors such as dual SIM configurations, reminder settings and users moving in and out of signal coverage could also have caused phones to receive the warning multiple times, according to a source.

In the wake of the alert, fire services across England and Wales found themselves overwhelmed by 999 calls from members of the public ringing to report neighbours holding barbecues or lighting bonfires.

Surrey Fire & Rescue Service posted on X: "Please only call 999 if there is an emergency or a fire producing significant smoke. We understand residents may be concerned, but we are unable to respond to reports of neighbours having BBQs, bonfires or campfires in their gardens unless there is an emergency."

Services in Surrey, Gloucestershire and South Wales were among those hit hardest by the surge in calls.

Gloucestershire Constabulary separately asked the public to direct any "urgent fire-related matters" to the fire service rather than the police.

The alert had advised people to avoid leaving barbecues unattended, to ensure they were fully extinguished, and to take care when disposing of cigarette ends.

The Government also faced sharp criticism over its decision to issue the alert in Welsh before English to recipients in Wales, despite only a minority of the population speaking the language.

Reform UK Wales branded the approach "dangerous," stating: "The overwhelming majority of Wales speaks English. For all emergency announcements, English should come first to avoid any panic or confusion."

The Conservatives echoed the objection, with both parties arguing that prioritising Welsh in an emergency situation was inappropriate.

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A source indicated that the Government had opted to send the Welsh-language version first in order to fulfil its legal obligation to promote the Welsh language, with an English translation following moments afterwards.

However, the decision is reportedly now set for a formal review amid concerns that the sequencing left some members of the public confused during a critical safety warning.

Alex Burghart, the Conservative shadow Northern Ireland secretary, condemned the use of the system as disproportionate, warning it set a troubling precedent.

He said: "When the severe alert system was established, it was made clear that there will be a very high threshold for its use based on strict criteria centred on an immediate risk to life.

"Tonight's use at a national level clearly doesn't hit that threshold and opens the door to future misuse of the system.

"Labour needs to publish who signed off the decision to use the alert and the criteria that they were using."

Former Conservative digital minister Matt Warman similarly questioned whether deploying the system for a wildfire warning was a proportionate response.

The Government pushed back firmly against the criticism.

A source said: "This decision was taken in response to an unprecedented level of risk and in close collaboration with experts in the fire service. Individuals claiming to know better than those serving on the front line are frankly choosing to play politics with public safety."

The alert came amid an escalating wildfire crisis that had prompted Andy Burnham to request military assistance.

Firefighters in South Wales were tackling more than 30 separate blazes, with 100 troops from the Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment deployed and a further 100 due to arrive by Friday evening.

Welsh authorities declared a major incident as fires threatened multiple communities across the region.

Burnham also announced an immediate temporary prohibition on the sale of disposable barbecues, citing the "significant risk to the public and the environment" posed during the ongoing heatwave.

Baroness Blake of Leeds was appointed fire minister on Friday, taking up the role within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The Met Office forecast offered little comfort, with the dry spell expected to persist until the end of September, when only limited rainfall is anticipated.

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