We’ll be right back… after this FIRE ALARM: Moment Sky News is forced off-air when emergency siren sounds
- Presenter Anna Botting was interviewing political correspondent Jon Craig
- Apologised and said there had been alarm in area that ‘controls programming’
- Sky Sports News also briefly taken off air and replaced with an error message
Sky News was forced to go off air in the middle of an interview after a fire alarm went off last night.
Presenter Anna Botting was interviewing political correspondent Jon Craig about events in Westminster when the interruption happened at around 11.15pm.
She said: ‘Jon Craig, I do apologise, I have to butt in. There is a fire alarm in the area that controls our programming. We’ll be back shortly.’
Botting later tweeted: ‘Fire alarm. Stops broadcast. Back soon…’
Sky presenter Anna Botting posted about the incident on Twitter, writing: ‘Fire alarm. Stops broadcast. Back soon…’
Sky News journalist James Moyse said the interruption was caused by an alarm in the building that controls programming
The channel returned at midnight with the anchor Kimberley Leonard after playing a pre-recorded documentary about the conman Mark Acklom.
Its sister service Sky Sports News was also briefly taken off air and replaced with an error message.
Sky News journalist James Moyse tweeted during the disruption: ‘Coverage of #SkyNews interrupted as @annabotting says that a #fire alarm has gone off in the building that controls programming.
‘Studios in #Osterley are new, with regular fire alarm checks – so hopefully nothing too serious. Finger crossed all colleagues are safe!’
Reuters journalist Matthew Keys tweeted: ‘The fire alarm also forced the suspension of live programming at Sky News’ sister channel Sky Sports News.
‘Both are running pre-recorded programs that are part of an emergency queue for situations like this.’
Botting told viewers: ‘Jon Craig, I do apologise, I have to butt in. There is a fire alarm in the area that controls our programming. We’ll be back shortly’