Number of people trapped in handcuffs and toilet seats rises

The London Fire Brigade have said that the number of incidents involving people being stuck or trapped in objects like handcuffs and toilet seats has risen over the last three years.

The Brigade has attended over 1,300 incidents involving people being trapped or stuck, often in everyday household items, since 2010. In 2010/11 crews attended 416 incidents; in 2011/12 this rose to 441 incidents; and in 2012/13 this shot up to 453. A total of 307 people were injured as a result of these incidents.



In the last three years the capital’s fire crews have been called out to 18 incidents involving children with their heads stuck in potties or toilet seats, 79 incidents involving people being trapped in handcuffs and nine instances of men with rings stuck on their penises.

The Brigade said that in the past its crews have been called to a man whose penis was stuck in a toaster, and another with his manhood trapped in a vacuum cleaner. Despite the unusual nature of some of the incidents, the Brigade is keen to stress that people should always call 999 in the case of a genuine emergency.