When a mum had to be rescued by firefighters last week after getting her fingers trapped in a wall at the gym, it got us thinking about other odd rescue missions we've covered in the past.

It seems that across Kent, people – and animals – have a knack for getting themselves stuck in strange places.

Here are 10 of the most unusual:

1. In a drain

Just over a year ago, Dover girl Ella Birchenough found herself stuck waist-deep in a drain after jumping down to retrieve her dropped iPhone.

The 16-year-old was lifted out of the hole by firefighters and, after a photo her mum took went viral, she found herself explaining the embarrassing situation on ITV’s Daybreak programme.

2. Wedged upside down between rocks

There was only one possible outcome when a teenage girl squeezed head-first into a gap between rocks on Herne Bay seafront to look for her lighter.

The gathering crowd giggled at the sight of the 16-year-old’s legs and bright pink socks waving in the air but things turned serious when the tide started coming in.

Firefighters prised the boulders apart using hydraulic equipment and dragged the youngster to safety.

She would be in her early 20s now but has she recovered from the embarrassment yet?

3. Halfway down a building

When Santa got stuck... while abseiling down the wall of Dickens World in Chatham, he was forced to hack off his trademark white beard to free himself.

The disaster happened at Christmas 2013 when Mr Claus’ facial hair got caught in ropes while he was making a dramatic entrance at the opening of the tourist attraction’s Winter Wonderland experience.

Santa’s face turned as red as his suit during the ordeal but he wasn’t injured.

4. In mud

Herne Bay again, and this time two women and a dog were rescued by the coastguard after becoming trapped in thick mud.

The animal lovers reportedly got stuck while trying to rescue the adventurous pooch.

On the same day, in March last year, emergency services were also called to a man and his bike trapped in mud on the same beach and a woman stuck off the coast at nearby Reculver.

5. In an airer

A cat had to be rescued by firefighters in Deal when it got stuck, not up a tree but in a clothes dryer.

The black and white moggy was attempting to jump down from a window sill earlier this year when it got tangled in the metal airer and ended up hanging from the contraption by one leg.

It took three firefighters to untangle Susie, who scampered upstairs as soon as she was released.

6. In a bike

Seven-year-old Jenson Young was riding his bike in Ashford a couple of years ago when he somehow slipped off the seat and got his leg stuck between the metal frame and a pedal arm.

Neighbours tried for 30 minutes to free the distressed child before calling firefighters, who cut through part of the bike with a hacksaw.

Jenson was left with a bruised leg but luckily the bike wasn't too badly damaged.

7. In handcuffs

A five-year-old Dartford boy was playing cops and robbers in his policeman onesie when he clamped a pair of toy handcuffs around his ankles... and couldn't get them off.

His mortified mum called firefighters when she couldn't find the key to the cuffs, apparently brought back from China by the child's older brother.

Crews spent an hour trying to free the boy before eventually picking the lock with a coat hanger.

8. More mud

A mare and her newborn foal were minutes from drowning when they got stuck in mud beside the River Thames in Gravesend.

The animals were knee-deep and it took firefighters, lifeboat and coastguard crews, the RSPCA and a vet to bring them to safety before the tide came in.

The foal had been born on the riverbank just hours earlier, in summer 2013, and it is thought they went down to the water's edge to drink and got trapped.

9. Under a car bonnet

Timmy the tom cat thought he'd found the purrfect place to sleep when he curled up under a car bonnet last winter.

Unfortunately for him, the car's owner drove it five miles from East Malling to Maidstone and only discovered he was inside when she smelt burning and pulled over.

By this point the cat's legs were wedged in the motor and a mechanic had to dismantle part of the engine to get him out.

Miraculously Timmy escaped without so much as a scratch but he definitely used up one of his nine lives.

10. In a wall

And finally, the story that inspired us to compile this list - gym goer Deb Jarvis getting her fingers stuck in a leisure centre wall.

The mum-of-one was chatting to friends before her Fight Klub class as Ashford's Stour Centre last week when she leant back on the wall and inadvertently pushed three fingers into decorative holes on a metal railing.

When soap failed to free her rapidly swelling digits, staff called firefighters who rescued her using specialist cutting equipment.

Despite being left in pain, and a little red-faced, it wasn't all bad news for Deb as she admitted some of her rescuers were actually "hotties".

Have you been rescued from an embarrassing situation? Share your experiences in the comments section below.

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