TALK about a pain in the arm – Gwendolyn Parker can certainly do that after getting her limb stuck in the letterbox of her metal front door.But the experience has shown her, she said, how valuable our firefighters are and not only when they are fighting fires.

TALK about a pain in the arm – Gwendolyn Parker can certainly do that after getting her limb stuck in the letterbox of her metal front door.

But the experience has shown her, she said, how valuable our firefighters are and not only when they are fighting fires.

The 19-year-old said the crew that came to her aid was "marvellous" and added: "they deserve every penny they are asking for. They were so patient and considerate not just for my arm which was hurting quite a lot but they didn't want to ruin my front door."

Miss Parker's sticky situation began after she realised she had left her keys at home while going off to the shops.

She did an about turn with her two-year-old daughter Charlie and hoped she could find a way of getting in to her home in St Clement's Church Lane, Ipswich.

"I pushed my arm through the letter box thinking I may reach the lock but my arm got stuck and it wouldn't move. I was stuck up to my elbow.

"Just as I was about to shout for help from one of my neighbours a friend came along and he called 999.

The firefighters tried to wiggle my arm out of the letterbox and then when that wouldn't work they got some washing up liquid from my neighbour.

"This didn't work either so they prised the letterbox a bit to help ease my arm out. I am so grateful to them and would like to thank them for all they did for me, and for amusing Charlie throughout my ordeal," said the grateful mum.

She said that while some of the officers were manoeuvring her arm others were keeping her two-year-old occupied and cheerful during her mother's plight.

Miss Parker's arm was slightly cut and after her release from the door, a firefighter cleaned it for her and put a dressing on the wound.

"They also managed to reach my keys with a special gadget and so we could go in to the house without causing any real damage to any part of the property," Miss Parker added.

Sub officer Dave Collins of Princes Street fire station in Ipswich said the crew arrived at Miss Parker's home just after 6pm and it took them half an hour to give her freedom.

"She was in some pain and had a small cut so we had to be quite careful. We used a crowbar to dismantle some of the inside of the letterbox. We fairly regularly get called to people who have got various parts of their bodies stuck in things. We're always happy to help," he added.