A RUNCORN schoolgirl who trapped her foot in her bike was freed by firefighters using heavy duty rescue equipment.
Letitia Looker, nine, was out playing with her friends on Laburnum Grove when her leg became trapped between the pedal and frame of her bike.
Her mum Toni Looker, of Grangeway, said: 'The first I knew that there had been an accident was when I got a phone call from Letitia's friend saying she had fallen off her bike and might have hit her head.
'So I went running round there and it seemed like the whole of Laburnum Grove was out.'
Letitia said: 'My mate was giving me a backie and my leg was swinging when it got stuck in the pedal.'
Neighbours attempted to free her leg from the bike using everything from hammers to chisels. Toni said: 'Nothing was working and that's when we had to call the fire brigade.'
A crew from Runcorn fire station arrived at the scene at 8pm last Wednesday.
Crew manager Gavin Hanson said: 'When we arrived a crowd had gathered and about five people were supporting Letitia who was unable to lie down because of her leg being trapped in the bike.
'We ended up using rescue equipment used in serious road traffic collisions. We tried to crush the bike frame away from her leg, which did not work as successfully as we hoped.
'Plan B was to spread both the pedals off the frame which worked and her leg was freed within five or six minutes.'
Letitia, who attends the Grange Junior School, was given gas and air by paramedics as she was cut free.
She did not need to go to hospital but suffered swelling and bruising to her lower leg.
Toni added: 'I just want to say thank you to everyone from Laburnum Grove. They were all really helpful, but the minute she got cut free I just wanted to get her home.'
