Firefighters have had their work cut out in the last five years, rescuing a puppy with its front legs trapped in a venetian blind, a squirrel trapped behind a fireplace and a cat trapped between a curtain rail and a wall.

The classic 'cat stuck up a tree' featured 15 times in five years, a Freddom of Information request has revealed.

Pigeons - often seen as a pest - have been rescued seven times, once after a bird became trapped in the middle of a railway bridge.

Back in 2010, a fish was even rescued after "being in danger of dying in a pond".

A London Fire Brigade spokeswoman said: "Animal rescues are extremely costly and take up the precious time of our firefighters who could otherwise be attending real emergencies. That said, we don’t want people putting themselves at risk to save an animal.

"We'd ask people to keep a close eye on their pets in the first place and unless it’s a real emergency, call the RSPCA rather than dialling 999."