A YOUNGSTER had that sinking feeling when his bath time frolics ended in a 999 call last night.

Little Damon Sheeley needed the help of local firefighters after he got his finger stuck in the bath's plug hole.

Despite all his efforts the desperate four-year-old, of Broom Avenue, Leigh, had been unable to get his finger free.

And in desperation his mum decided to call for the fire brigade, who managed to free his finger using the latest in "high-tech" wizardry - vegetable oil, soap and patience!

Today his embarrassed mum, Karen, told how her son had stuck the little finger of his left hand down the plughole after his older brother Dean pulled the plug out.

She said: "The bubbles were still in the bath so I could not see his hand. Damon has stuck his finger in the plug before before but we managed to get it free. He's vowed not to do it again."

Sub-officer Terry Peers said: "In these situations it's as much about improvisation as anything else.

"We managed to unscrew the plug so we could work better then we put ice on his finger to try to reduce the swelling.

"Luckily he was as good as gold. He was sat in the bath with a towel round him, chatting to us as we tried to get the plug off his little finger.

"Eventually using soap and oil to make it slippy and a lot of patience it came off."

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