Firefighters blame Fifty Shades for rise in handcuff related call-outs

According to the London Fire Brigade there's been an increase in incidents where couples have been caught in compromising positions... and they reckon it might be down to EL James' saucy stories.

Since 2010 there has been a 10% increase in calls from people who need to be freed from household (or bedroom) items, 79 of which involved handcuffs. Other incidents include rings, hoovers and even a toaster being stuck on a certain intimate area. Ouch.

"I don't know whether it's the Fifty Shades effect, but the number of incidents involving items like handcuffs seems to have gone up," said Fire Brigade spokesperson Dave Brown.

"Some of the incidents our firefighters are called out to could be prevented with a little common sense," he continued, while speaking to The Week. So what do the Fire Brigade advise? "If you use handcuffs, always keep the keys handy," said Brown. Take note, Fifty Shades fans.

EL James' first novel has become the fastest selling paperback of all time and Fifty Shades fever is definitely not set to decline any time soon - a film, directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and penned by Kelly Marcel, is set for cinemas in Summer 2014. So the moral of the tale is, if you plan on recreating any of Christian Grey and Ana Steele's bedroom exploits, do all you can to ensure your fun doesn't end in a 999 call...