Sheffield Women’s Aid’s chief expressed serious concern that a planned UK-wide government emergency-alert test could put domestic abuse survivors at risk. The loud, unavoidable alert might reveal a hidden phone to an abusive partner, making it important for people at risk to know they could opt out in advance.

The test was due to sound at 3pm on Sunday 23 April on compatible 4G and 5G phones, even if devices were on silent. The charity urged survivors with concealed devices to turn off emergency alerts in their phone settings or switch the phone off, while stressing that the warning system is intended for life-threatening emergencies.