A London tabloid newspaper has reported that it was a woman who set off the fire alarms while trying to dry her undies in the England team hotel.
Even as unconfirmed reports here last night suggested that Australian cricket fans may have been responsible for the false fire alarm that forced the England cricket team to be evacuated from their Radisson hotel at 4:30 am. before the start of the fourth Ashes Test on Friday, a London tabloid newspaper has said it was a woman who set off the fire alarms while "trying to dry her undies".
The England team, including captain Andrew Strauss and Andrew Flintoff, were among hundreds of guests who shivered in rain in the street in their pyjamas as they waited for firefighters to deal with the alarm.
If reports are to be believed, the woman had rinsed her stockings and knickers in a sink and left them near a light to dry.
"It appears a lady had done some washing and had fallen asleep leaving her undies too near a light. They caught fire and when she tried to put them out it caused so much smoke the alarms went off," The Sun newspaper quoted a source as saying.
"Even if she's not a cricket fan I'm sure by now the lady realises what she's done spoiling our lads' sleep before the fourth Test," the source is reported as adding.
Meanwhile former England captain Sir Ian Botham has termed calls for silencing the Barmy Army, England's raucous supporters, as "ridiculous and crazy".
In a syndicated newspaper article, the legend questioned moves by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to silence the noisy behaviour of loyal England fans.
Botham said "telling the England fans to keep a lid on their songs and banter is like telling the Indian fans to keep it quiet when Sachin Tendulkar walks out to bat or hits a boundary."
Admitting that a "few buffoons could over-extend themselves in their behaviour," Botham said it was plain and simple "rubbish" to demand a "sterile atmosphere" on the ground where a Test match is on.
