999 call by man stuck in a ladder

Having only three steps, this ladder appears to be relatively harmless. But this picture shows how an office worker in south-east London managed to become so entangled in it that firefighters were forced to come to his aid.

It is the latest in a string of bizarre 999 calls in the capital.

Call-outs in the past five years have included a man trapped in a chastity belt and a women who glued herself to the floor.

London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner Dave Brown said: "These incidents are time consuming, costly and take up the precious time of our crews."