Fire crews in Oxfordshire have rescued people from lifts more than 800 times in the past decade, figures show.

This year fewer people have found themselves trapped in lifts due to closed offices and shops throughout the pandemic.

However, despite the impact of lockdown measures, the Oxfordshire Fire and rescue Service still had to perform 58 lift rescues in 2020.

This was still 55 fewer than the 113 carried out previously in 2019.

The Fire Brigades Union called for building owners to take responsibility for the maintenance of lifts after Home Office statistics showed crews in the area attended 880 "lift release" incidents between January 2011 and December 2020.

They accounted for five per cent of all non-fire related calls attended by Oxfordshire firefighters in that time.

Oxford Mail: LIFTS: A fire engine

Nationally, more than 120,000 lift rescues were carried out over the decade and crews across England were called more than 8,500 times last year to free those trapped.

Several fire brigades have introduced charging policies in an effort to recover the costs of attending non-emergency lift rescues where there is no risk to life.

Charges, which differ from service to service, can cost hundreds of pounds per call out.

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