I smiled when I read this in The Times this morning. It's probably the first time Curly Wurlies have ever been used to facilitate a rescue.

I am now lobbying my MP to ensure that the Fire Service is issued with Curly Wurlies big enough to support the weight of a person.

That's brilliant. There must be loads of other confectionary-based rescue items. How about party rings to save baby mice lost at sea? Or using a sherbert fountain as one of those dry fire extinguishers for electrical equipment?

And little Early-Pearly came by in his curly-wurly and asked me if I needed a ride.

A representative of the Lollipop Guild/Uniformed Firefighters Association (LG/UFA) Local 255 met with the hamster yesterday to discuss preferred flavors for future rescue attempts.

I liked the statement that the customer service's manager "has adopted him for her son." I read that as if she adopted him for her son. Like Stuart Little.