Teenagers have been cut free by firefighters after taking part in a TikTok challenge to squeeze into toddlers' swings and film themselves.

Six youngsters in Norfolk have so far been released from swings as the challenge sweeps the country.

Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service has had a spate of calls for its firefighters to free the trapped teenagers and older children - and bosses said rescuing them could hamper crews getting to serious emergencies.

It comes after firefighters had to free a teenaged girl from a swing in a Norwich park last week.

The craze sees teenagers clamber into toddler and baby swings while they film themselves, or a friend films them. They then upload the footage to the TikTok app.

But some youngsters have found it harder to get out than in, so Norfolk's firefighters have been called out to rescue them half a dozen times in recent months.

Assistant chief fire officer Scott Norman said: “We are aware of a social media challenge involving older children and teenagers getting into baby swings at public parks.

“We have attended several of these incidents over the last year.

"Please don’t take part in such activities.

"Think about the risk to yourself, the damage to property and the fact that such calls tie up our crews, who may be needed for fires and other emergencies elsewhere.”

The latest call-out for firefighters was to a park off Heigham Street in Norwich at about 1pm on Wednesday, April 28.

Wisbech Standard: The park off Heigham Street, where a teenager had to be freed from a toddler swing.The park off Heigham Street, where a teenager had to be freed from a toddler swing. (Image: Archant)

One man, who lives nearby, said: "There was a young girl who had got stuck in the baby swing.

"Her friend was with her and they must have been between 14 to 16--years-old.

"The fire engine was only there for a little while. It probably only took them five minutes or so to get her out, but I couldn't understand why she'd got into the swing."

Norfolk fire chiefs join a growing list of fire services across the country to warn about the craze.

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said it had been called to 10 separate incidents of people stuck in baby park swings in the past month and a half.