Pub warns punters to leave their mobile phones at home this weekend
A PUB has warned punters to leave their phones at home this weekend – and it’s for an alarming reason.
The Camelot pub near Yeovil in Somerset has asked customers to leave their phones at the door on Sunday as the UK braces for an emergency alert at 3pm.
A siren and message are due to go out at 3pm on St George’s Day, April 23, with people’s phones locked until they acknowledge the warning.
It will give a sound and vibration for 10 seconds – even if you set your device to silent.
iPhone and Android users using 4G and 5G will have to acknowledge the alert before they can continue using their devices.
Phone users have to swipe away the message or click OK before they can use their device again.
Now SomersetLive reports that The Camelot pub is telling customers to leave their phones behind to stop the alert ruining the Sunday roast.
The pub said: “The Camelot is requesting all customers to leave their mobile phones at home if they are coming to the pub.
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“We have all heard the alert on various news channels and we feel very strongly that we don’t want the alarm system to spoil the enjoyment of customers coming for our legendary roast lunches.
“If customers feel strongly about bringing their phones then we kindly request you turn them off while in the pub before the alarm goes off at 3pm.
“Any customer who does have an alarm go off will be asked to pop a large donation into our charity box.
“This month our chosen charity is The Alzheimer’s Society. We are really sorry if this offends some customers.
“As we have all had the chance to hear the alarm we don’t feel it’s necessary to have it intrude our lives on a Sunday here.”
RISHI’S PLEA
The full alert message will read: “This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a new UK government service that will warn you if there’s a life-threatening emergency nearby.
“In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe.
“Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information. This is a test. You do not need to take any action.”
You can opt out of the test by turning off emergency alerts or just switching off your phone – but Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is begging Brits to keep them on.
A No10 spokesman said: “We would encourage people not to switch it off unless it is the right for them in those circumstances we have discussed.
“People are free to make their own decisions about what’s right for them, so we are not prescriptive.
“But we do think this is a system that has the potential to alert people to significant danger, so of course we would encourage people to opt in.”
WHEEL DANGER
Drivers are being urged not to pick up their phones if the emergency alert goes off while they’re on the road.
Touching your phone while driving could see you slapped with a £200 fine and six points on your licence.
The Highway Code states that using a phone while driving is in breach of rule 149, and could even result in the driver being taken to court.
This rule applies to using your device at traffic lights, in traffic, and instructing a learner driver.
To escape legal trouble, drivers are urged to stop the car before acknowledging the message.
Alternatively, other passengers in the vehicle are allowed to clear the notification on your behalf.
It could be the sound that saves your life
Oliver Dowden
The emergency alert is modelled on systems currently in Japan, Canada, the Netherlands and the US.
It has been set up to warn people if there is a “danger to life” situation like a flood or wildfire nearby, as well as potential terror incidents and civil defence emergencies.
Government minister Oliver Dowden said: “At 3pm next Sunday we’ll be doing a nationwide test of our new Emergency Alerts system.
Getting this system operational means we have a vital tool to keep the public safe in life-threatening emergencies.
“It could be the sound that saves your life.”
But domestic abuse campaigners have slammed the test, which they say could expose the location of victims’ hidden phones.
The alarm will go off during the London Marathon and during the Premier League games Bournemouth vs West Ham and Newcastle vs Tottenham.
Chief Fire Officer Alex Woodman said: “We must use every tool at our disposal to keep people safe, and we need everyone to play their part, and the new Emergency Alerts system is one way we can do this.
“For 10 seconds, the national test may be inconvenient for some, but it’s important, because the next time you hear it, your life, and the life-saving actions of our emergency services, could depend on it.”