VILLAGERS living around The Square in Alvechurch were rudely awakened in the early hours of Wednesday morning, when the burglar alarm on the local bank was set off.

A 999 call was made to the police and patrol cars were sent from Birmingham and Worcester.

However, it was a false alarm, for when a local policeman arrived he discovered that a short circuit on the old wiring had set off the alarm, so he switched it off.

It is believed that the battery-operated wiring was accidentally exposed during structural alterations to the interior of the bank.