Following the fire alarm going off for a long time on Monday 2nd June, which has happend previously, Epping Forest District Council issues an apology.

They have said:-

"We apologise to the residents of Epping for the fire alarm at Cottis Yard car park going off again on Monday night."

"It should not have been going off for that length of time and we are truly sorry for the disturbance and inconvenience caused. We understand the frustration and stress noise nuisances can make and thank residents for bringing the ringing alarm to our attention."

"Investigations continue into the reasons for it being set off. We can confirm that the alarm was activated with malicious intent. We are examining CCTV footage to identify who set the alarm off and will pursue enforcement action if any clear identifications can be made."

"We are equally frustrated and acknowledge this is not an isolated incident. We take full responsibility for the alarm not being switched off in a timely manner as previously promised."

"We are carrying out comprehensive testing to identify the root causes and will be implementing all necessary measures to prevent it happening in the future."

"We believe these root causes are separate from Monday’s incident. We are looking into why certain measures, that were put in place to ensure the alarm is silenced when first reported did not occur; monitoring arrangements; response times; and clarification over roles and actions."