Thousands of hearing aid users have been advised to disconnect their devices to avoid the Government’s new emergency alert system damaging their ears.

Hearing charities have warned the alert could startle people who have mobile phones connected to their hearing aids, as well as anyone with tinnitus or wearing headphones.

Franki Oliver, an audiology manager at the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, said the volume of the alert “may be uncomfortable for people using hearing aids that connect to a phone via Bluetooth” and he advised users to “disconnect your hearing aids from Bluetooth before the emergency alert test”.

Thousands of deaf people use these devices to hear their mobile phones and computers, and in some areas they are available on the NHS.

Ministers have reassured the public that the alert can be silenced easily, and they played down concerns that it could cause road accidents and identify the secret phones of domestic abuse victims.

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National emergency alerts can be “inconvenient” and “annoying”, the new Deputy Prime Minister said this morning. 

Oliver Dowden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, compared the mass trial to a fire drill at work - acknowledging that it may be “a bit irritating” in the moment, but could be life-saving in the event of a real crisis.

Mr Dowden, who was made Rishi Sunak’s deputy on Friday following the resignation of Dominic Raab, said the system was part of a “toolkit” to keep people safe.

He told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme that the test was a “bit like when the fire alarm goes off at work”, acknowledging “it can be a bit inconvenient and annoying”.

But speaking earlier to Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday, he said it could be a life-saving tool.

“The job of Government is to keep people safe - it's the number one job of Government,” he said.

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On an iPhone, open up the Settings app and type “emergency alerts” in the search bar. That should bring up the option to turn off “Severe alerts” and Emergency alerts”.

On an Android device, once again go to the settings app and search for emergency alerts. The wording of the switch might depend a little on what version you are using, but will usually be something like “emergency alerts”, and have the option to turn it off.

Downing Street has urged the public not to disable the alert. 

The alert is intended to inform the public of natural disasters or terror attacks. 

It will allow government officials to warn large groups of the population about incidents that could affect them, and is seen as an extremely effective form of public information.

It is understood ministers believe the “minimal” risk to the public by testing the system is outweighed by the benefits of having a scheme that can warn of emergencies such as floods, wildfires and terror attacks.