Police officers stuck in a lift pose for selfie as they await rescue by firefighters
A group of police officers had to call for their own emergency response after getting stuck in a lift.
The four colleagues were coming to the end of a night shift when they became trapped in the elevator in Brighton.
Ten firefighters were scrambled to rescue the Sussex Police officers at about 5.50am on Tuesday.
But the PCs saw the funny side of the situation, posting a selfie on Twitter of them smiling in the lift along with the caption: #awkward.
Also sharing a picture of the efforts to get them out, the tweet described the sight of the firefighters as having "never been more welcome".
At the end of a night shift & getting stuck in a lift. The sight of @EastSussexFRS Fire Fighters has never been more welcome#awkward#CS637pic.twitter.com/szsh8oG1zv
— Brighton&Hove Police (@BtonHovePolice) October 17, 2017
The officers raised the alarm as they approached the end of their shift. It is not known how long they had been stuck.
Around 40 minutes after the rescue, the Brighton and Hove Police Twitter account posted pictures of their ordeal.
Some social media users jokingly suggested that the officers would have been spared their blushes if they had taken the stairs:
Maybe take the stairs next time cheaper :)
— UK News in Pictures (@uknip247) October 17, 2017
Ooooops fit lads and lasses should be using the stairs lol
— Gary Burnham (@G_Unit1968) October 17, 2017
An East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service spokesman confirmed crews had "rescued four people stuck in a lift in Sillwood Street, Brighton, at 5.52am".
He added: Two Brighton appliances were mobilised to the incident."
A Sussex Police spokesman said: "This is one of the more unusual hazards of policing."