Girl's dinner-time rescue

A four-year-old girl from Shrewsbury was freed from her chair by firefighters using washing-up liquid after trapping her foot in the bars.

Bethany Gittins was eating her tea while kneeling on the wooden chair when her foot became stuck at 2.45pm yesterday.

Dad Mark Gittins said he tried to cut through the bar of the chair but decided it was safer to call the fire brigade.

He said: "She was eating her dinner and her foot went in-between the railings. We tried to put some grease on it but it would not come out. I was going to cut the railings on the chair but I thought we had to get the firemen out.

"The fireman was fantastic. He knew exactly how to turn her foot to get it out of the chair. He used washing-up liquid to make it a bit slippery.

"We are just grateful they got her foot out and they were excellent. She won't sit properly on the chair but she's not going to sit like that again. We are teaching her to sit properly."

Mum Sarah Gittins said her seven-year-old son Oliver told her Bethany was stuck.

She said: "I panicked a bit. She has got her foot stuck before but we have managed to get it out. She was trapped for about 10 to15 minutes."

A fire service spokeswoman said: "One child was released from a chair using washing-up liquid. First aid and advice was given by fire service personnel."