Everyone in the UK with a mobile phone is set to receive an emergency alert notification as part of a nationwide test this month.
The Government has today confirmed the date and time that the test alert will be issued.
Following what the Government has called “successful pilots” in East Suffolk and Reading, it has now been confirmed that the test of the new “lifesaving” Emergency Alerts system will take place at 3pm on Sunday 23 April.
Those with a 4G and 5G compatible mobile phone will receive a message on the home screen of their mobile phone, along with a sound and vibration for up to 10 seconds.
As this is only a test, and as the alert will state, the public does not need to take any action when they receive the message, as the sound and vibration will stop automatically stop, so all you’ll need to do is swipe away the message.
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You can also click ‘OK’ on your phone’s home scree, just like you would for a ‘low battery’ warning or any normal notification, and then continue to use your phone as usual.
The new Emergency Alerts system will be tested on April 23.
The system will warn people when their lives are in danger. An Emergency Alert is a loud, siren-like sound with a message on your mobile phone screen.
Emergency Alerts have already been used successfully in a number of other countries, including the US, Canada, the Netherlands and Japan, and the UK Government claims the system has been widely-credited with saving lives.
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In the UK, alerts could be used to tell residents of villages being encroached by wildfires, or of severe flooding.
The Government says it has worked together with the emergency services and partners – including the Football Association (FA) and London Marathon – to make sure the national test has “a minimum impact” on the several major sporting events taking place on the day.
Cabinet Minister Oliver Dowden is urging the British public to “put the date in your diaries”.
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“Getting this system operational with the national test means we have another tool in our toolkit to keep the public safe in life-threatening emergencies,” he added.
“It could be the sound that saves your life.”
Everyone in the UK will get a ‘test’ emergency alert on their phone on this day / Credit: GOV.UK
Emergency Alerts will “transform the UK’s warning and informing capability”, according to the Government.
This is because they will work with mobile broadcasting technology to provide a way of getting urgent messages quickly to nearly 90% of mobile phones in a defined area when there is a risk to life, and will then provide clear instructions about how best to respond.
The best practice of Emergency Alerts in other countries have shown that they work more effectively in a real emergency if people have previously received a test.
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This is so they know what an alert looks and sounds like.
According to the Government, the Emergency Alert system will be used very rarely here in the UK, and will only being sent where there is an immediate risk to people’s lives.
This means we may not receive an alert for months, or even years.
Huge tunnel through the Peak District linking Manchester and Sheffield moves one step closer
Daisy Jackson
Ambitions plans to build a tunnel beneath the Peak District to connect Manchester and Sheffield has moved a step closer.
The proposed tunnel, which could completely transform travel between the two cities, has received a major £500,000 funding boost.
Picture the Eurostar, but plonk it going across the Pennines instead of London to Paris.
If it all goes ahead, journeys between South Yorkshire and Greater Manchester would be much quicker and easier, cutting times by up to 30 minutes, The Sheff reports.
The whopping £500,000 funding has been secured by infrastructure group Future Works, which is behind the proposed Trans-Pennine Connect scheme.
The money will be used to carry out technical and environmental feasibility studies to establish whether the project could actually go ahead.
The plans would see a 14-mile dual-carriageway tunnel built underneath the Peak District, potentially running between Langsett in South Yorkshire and Hollingworth or Tintwistle in Greater Manchester.
Michael Dnes, Future Works co-founder, said: “We’re very excited to be working with UK Dynamism Fund to unlock the next stage of our project.
“This funding will let us complete the technical and environmental feasibility studies needed to get the right outcomes for people and the Peak District as we deliver better transport connections across the Pennines.”
South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard has previously voiced his support for the proposals, describing them as a “really exciting opportunity”.
Speaking at a South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority meeting back in September, he said: “We all know the frustrations of travelling between two of the North’s biggest and best cities.”
He also stressed that any plans would need to take environmental considerations very seriously, particularly the impact on wildlife in the Peak District.
The project is still in very early stages, and the funding doesn’t indicate that planning has been approved. We’ll keep you updated with any updates as and when we know.
So, what do you make of this proposal? Would you be keen for a drive through the tunnel?
Town just outside Greater Manchester named one of UK’s ‘happiest’ places to live
Emily Sergeant
The UK’s happiest places to live for 2026 have been named, and a town just outside Greater Manchester is in the top 10.
Just as it has done for the last 14 years now, Rightmove has published its annual ‘Happy at Home’ index, which explores exactly what it is that makes people feel content about where they live, and highlights the happiest places nationwide ahead of the new year.
This year, thousands of residents across more than 200 locations told the leading property listing platform what they love (or don’t love) about their community – from the friendliness of their neighbours, to job opportunities, access to green spaces, and so much more.
The survey also outlines the differences in happiness in rural, urban, and suburban environments, as well as the way our sense of ‘home happiness’ changes as we age.
So, where do we have in the top 10 then?
Well, Skipton in North Yorkshire – last year’s winner – only ranked seventh in this year’s study, making way for Richmond upon Thames in London to take the coveted stop spot, but looking a little further down the list, you’ll find the Lancashire town of Chorley in sixth place.
Closest to the Bolton and Wigan boroughs, Chorley is about a 40-minute drive outside of Manchester, and sits on a direct train route into the city centre.
The UK’s top 10 happiest places to live 2026
Richmond upon Thames
Harrogate
Cirencester
Monmouth
Hove
Chorley
Skipton
Llandrindod Wells
Horsham
Hexham
With a deep legacy rooted in the Industrial Revolution, Chorley is now a popular place to live full of amenities, good local schooling options, and convenient transport links – with an average property price of £234,387, and average rent costing £1,011 per month.
When it comes to the wider rankings, and the North West ranking as a whole, two Greater Manchester towns made it into the region’s top five, Stockport at number two and Altrincham following right behind at number three.
Other of the region’s inclusions like Bury, Bolton, Wigan, and the Manchester borough itself all ranked towards the bottom.
Speaking on this year’s list, Colleen Babcock – a property expert at Rightmove – explained: “The balance between greenery and everyday convenience runs through the wider findings. Even among people who would ideally choose a rural setting, access to amenities, parks and public transport remains important.
“This year’s results suggest that the places people rate most highly aren’t simply urban or rural, but often bring together some of the best elements of both.”
Emily Sergeant -
6th April 2023 
