Dozens of severely obese people are being rescued by firefighters in the North East because they are too large to move without assistance.
According to Home Office figures, firefighters across in our area attended 67 "bariatric assists" in 2020-21. This involves coming to the aid of plus-size people, often because they are trapped in their own homes. Rescues can sometimes involve lifting equipment, special slings, and even the removal of windows, walls and bannisters - and are most often carried out at the request of NHS partners.
The number of such incidents attended by firefighters across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Durham and Darlington and Cleveland last year fell by 37% from 107 the previous year, bucking the national trend, but is 60% higher than the 42 incidents in 2012, the first year the figures were recorded.
