Unusual fire call-outs

In the last three years the capital's fire crews have been called out to:

• Eighteen incidents involving children with their heads stuck in potties or toilet seats.
• Five incidents involving people's hands being stuck in shredders.
• Seventy nine incidents involving people being trapped in handcuffs.
• Four incidents where people had their hands stuck in blenders

• Seventeen incidents involving children with their fingers stuck in toys

The popularity of erotic fiction like the bestseller Fifty Shades of Grey could be to blame for the dozens of incidents of people being trapped in handcuffs firefighters have been called out to over the past three years, a brigade said today.

London Fire Brigade said it had turned out to 79 such incidents - and nine instances of men with rings stuck on their penises - and urged people "always keep the keys handy".