note 9285 added to set_error_handler

It is your responsibility to die() if necessary in the error handler, else execution will continue. error_reporting setting has no effect on the error_handler, which receives all kinds of error anyway. Prepending @ to a function call will normally prevent PHP from printing errors to the screen, however it does not prevent your error_reporting function being called. http://www.php.net/manual/function.set-error-handler.php