BBC Breakfast pauses for 'breaking news' as Sally Nugent addresses 'emergency'

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BBC Breakfast hosts Sally Nugent and Ben Thompson paused the programme abruptly this week to issue a breaking news alert.

Sally drew viewers’ attention to “emergency measures” being put into place on the programme, while huge capital letters spelled out the word BREAKING across the screen.

It came as a sports segment drew to a close, with Sally switching to a sombre tone on Monday morning (August 19).

The breaking news turned out to be covering overcrowding in UK prisons, with Sally explaining to viewers: “Now, the government has activated emergency measures to ease prison overcrowding as more rioters are sentenced.”

Ben chimed in: “Let’s talk to our political correspondent Henry Zeffman who joins us now. Now what exactly do these measures involve?”

BBC Breakfast came to an abrupt halt (Image: BBC)

Henry, appearing via video link, explained: “Practically, what this means is that some people who are awaiting trial in a police cell will be kept in a police cell until prison space is available.

“That’s highly unusual. It’s an emergency measure, but it’s an emergency measure that the government this morning is saying is necessary in parts of the country because prisons are so overcrowded.

"It’s been activated overnight in the north east, Yorkshire, Cumbria, Lancaster, Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire.”

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The talk of prison overcrowding was all over the news (Image: BBC)

Henry went on to share that the news could signal a "prison system in crisis", with Prisons Minister Lord Timpson saying: "We inherited a justice system in crisis and exposed to shocks.

"As a result we have been forced into making difficult but necessary decisions to keep it operating."

Henry explained that it will be a "short-term measure" as Ben quizzed him: "Is there a danger here that the emergency measure puts strain on the rest of the system, that effectively it grinds to a halt if people can't be processed in the way they would nornally be processed?"

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Breaking news straps accompanied the announcement (Image: BBC)

Henry admitted: "That's the fear, and I think potentially that's why the government will have been reluctant to make this decision.

"They are trying to reassure people today that that is not something that's going to happen, that the system won't be gummed up further back the chain."

BBC Breakfast airs daily from 6am on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

BBC Breakfast pauses for 'breaking news' as Sally Nugent addresses 'emergency'

BBC Breakfast pauses for 'breaking news' as Sally Nugent addresses 'emergency'

BBC Breakfast pauses for 'breaking news' as Sally Nugent addresses 'emergency'

BBC Breakfast pauses for 'breaking news' as Sally Nugent addresses 'emergency'

BBC Breakfast pauses for 'breaking news' as Sally Nugent addresses 'emergency'