BUCKINGHAMSHIRE Fire & Rescue Service (BFRS) is urging young people to think twice after a number of children had to be cut free from park swings.

The fire and rescue service attended Rose Avenue, Hazlemere on Thursday, June 1, after a 12-year-old girl had got stuck in a baby swing and had to be cut free by crews.

Firefighters were also called to Chesham in Moor Road on Sunday, May 28, after a 13-year-old boy became trapped in a baby swing.

The fire service says a total of nine children had to be cut free from swings across Bucks so far this year.

Between 2021 and 2022, the total number of callouts was 19.

The warning comes following a spike in incidents in which children and teenagers have found themselves stuck in baby and infant swings in playgrounds and parks.

In 2022 alone, the fire service were called out 13 times to rescue people stuck in swings.

Again more recently, a fire engine was sent to the play area in the London Road area of High Wycombe, at 8.54pm on Sunday, May 21, as a woman in her 20s had to be cut free from a swing.

Paul Scanes, Group Commander for Prevention in Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service, said: “Our firefighters attend all kinds of incidents where people need our assistance in a whole host of situations.

"Quite often, their skills and expertise are required to help release someone who has become stuck or trapped. Most of the time, the circumstances surrounding the entrapment are wholly accidental, however sometimes the situation is completely avoidable.

“Over recent years we have seen increasing numbers of requests to help release people who have become stuck in swings in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. In 2019/20, we were called out to five incidents relating to this type of rescue incident.

"Over this five-year-period, most of the calls we received were to release girls, with the average age of the person requiring a rescue being 13 years old.

“While we will always rescue individuals in need, incidents such as these do take time to resolve and could divert our crews from more serious, and potentially life-threatening, incidents.

“We would ask people to heed any safety messages displayed, such as weight and height warnings, and think twice before attempting to get into any swing seat or play equipment that is not designed with you in mind. What may start as an innocent and fun opportunity, could cause harm if you become trapped; both to you, and to the equipment which may need to be damaged to free you.”