The London Fire Brigade has asked for people to phone the RSPCA and not 999 if your pet is in danger.

Emergency services are called to 10 animal rescues per week, new figures show.

Each call costs the fire brigade £328.

LFB attended 539 animal rescues in London last year, and have attended more than 100 animal rescues in 2018 alone.

Almost half (258) of these rescue crews were called to an incident involving a cat. There was 81 calls about dogs in distress.

London Fire Brigade Group Manager Mark Hazelton said: “Most cats find their own way back down trees so if you see an animal in distress, please call the RSPCA first who can judge whether they need our help.

“As these figures show, we are spending a lot of time being called out to help animals that could often be assisted by the RSPCA.

“Firefighters love animals too and we will always help if the RSPCA need us to, but we should only be called for real emergencies.”

In 2016 firefighters were called to a fox trapped in a trampoline and in 2017 to a pigeon stuck behind a fireplace.

This year the owners of a dog called the fire brigade after their pet got caught in a recliner chair mechanism.

Mr Hazelton added: “We know that as a city of animal lovers, Londoners want to help straight away if they see an animal in distress and pet owners will know that their furry friends can quickly and easily get themselves into all sorts of trouble.

“But I do just want to reiterate that it’s always best to contact the RSPCA in the first instance, and if they require our assistance, they will call us and we are happy to assist with our specialist equipment.”

If you see an animal in distress call the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999.