How the UK emergency alert system test has been years in the making

The test of the new phone alert system this weekend comes after learning from earlier experiences - and the warning strategies of other nations

There have been accusations of nanny statism, warnings from domestic abuse charities over inadvertently alerting abusers to hidden phones, and even pet shops cordoning off smaller animals so they don't get frightened when the government's emergency alert system is tested on Sunday at 3pm.

One thing is certain though: the UK government has taken its time in getting the system up and running, taking more than a decade to get to this first nationwide test.