Brits deluge social media after receiving emergency alert on their phones one minute EARLY

Social media users are mocking the Government’s new emergency alert system test after the nationwide alarm sounded one minute before the scheduled time.

The test was meant to emit a 10-second siren on tens of millions of phones at 3pm today, but some people received the alarm early and others minutes later.

Twitter flooded with memes following the test alert as many users joked that the early notification ‘scared the s**t out of me’.

Several users complained that they had not received the warning at all, including one who joked: ‘If there’s a National emergency can someone let me know because the government don’t think I deserve to be informed’.

Twitter flooded with memes following the test alert as many users joked that the early notification ‘scared the s**t out of me’ and others complained they didn’t receive any notification at all

The UK conducted its first test of a new emergency alert service today which officials hope to use to alert people to issues such as severe flooding and fires.

The alarm, which sounded at shortly before 3pm, was accompanied by a message reading: ‘This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a new UK government service that will warn you if there’s a life-threatening emergency nearby.’

The siren-like sound, which the Cabinet Office assured would be no more prominent than a mobile’s loudest ringtone setting, was meant to sound 4G and 5G devices unless they had been turned off or were in airplane mode.

But the execution of the first-ever alert did not appear to instil faith in the public.

‘They decided I didn’t need the emergency alert because I’m a strong independent woman,’ one Twitter user wrote.

‘My emergency alert didn’t come so I guess I’m the first one to die during a nuclear war,’ echoed another.

One user added: ‘Tell me why it went off a minute early bruh.’ 

‘The emergency alert came at 2.59 not 3pm,’ someone else added. ‘That scared the s**t out of me.’

‘Lol so 6 out of 7 of us here didn’t get the emergency alarm going off… who else is on the government’s list to let die in the apocalypse?’ questioned another.

The national system, modelled on similar schemes in Canada, Japan, the Netherlands and the United States, aims to warn the public if there is a danger to life nearby but has generated criticism over ‘nanny state’ intrusion.

The 10-second alarm, which sounded even if phones were on silent, rang out at entertainment and sporting events, including Premier League football matches.

A large numbers of customers on mobile phone carrier Three did not receive any alert – despite the company having previously advertised that it would be taking place. 

Three told MailOnline they are ‘aware’ of the issue and are working with government ‘to understand why’ it occurred.