BBC Radio 4 goes off air for 15 minutes after halting live radio broadcasts because fire alarm went off in London studio

BBC Radio 4’s Today programme was forced off air for 15 minutes this morning after New Broadcasting House was evacuated following a fire alarm.

The show’s team including presenters Martha Kearney and Nick Robinson had to leave the building in London at 7.39am, before being allowed back in at 7.54am.

Staff had to wait outside the building in temperatures of -1C (34F), while a pre-recorded message was played apologising for ‘disruption’ and ‘problems’.

A documentary about the history of the T-shirt was also aired along with the world news, and Robinson and Kearney tweeted a picture of themselves out in the cold.

Workers were allowed back in around ten minutes after the alarm first sounded, although could have gone to the station’s back-up studio in Westminster.

After returning, Kearney said: ‘Well as the world news fades down, Chris, Nick (Robinson) and I are back in the studio – somewhat… 

‘Nearly called you my husband there, that’s dodgy. Slightly breathless, but we didn’t run up the stairs at least – so, alarm over.’

Robinson added: ‘Well, let’s just reassure everybody that not only is the alarm is over, but despite that noise that you may have heard saying there was an emergency, as far as we can tell, there wasn’t actually an emergency.

‘Anyway, we have to follow procedures, and we did, we were outside in the cold for a little while but we’re relieved to be back ion the Today programme and will now continue as before. Normal service is being resumed.

Kearney then introduced a delayed Thought for the Day with Richard Harries, the former Bishop of Oxford.

During the shutdown, the programme’s business correspondent Katie Prescott tweeted at 7.44am: ‘For those listening to Today and wondering what is going on, we have been evacuated from New Broadcasting House because of an alarm.’

She then added at 7.50am: ‘We are being allowed back in – normal service resuming shortly.’

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