Firefighters in London say they are anticipating an increase in call-outs following the release of Fifty Shades of Grey at the cinema. The London Fire Brigade said it was concerned that the Valentine's Day release of the movie could see a spike in people getting stuck or trapped in handcuffs.

Fifty Shades of GreyDakota Johnson plays Anastasia Steele in Fifty Shades of Grey

Since April 2014, it has attended 393 incidents and the LFB said people should try to use "common sense" but always call 999 in a genuine emergency.

Based on the novel by EL James, the movie - starring Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson - tells the story of an erotic affair between billionaire Christian Grey and the submissive Anastasia Steele.

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Dave Brown from LFB said: "The Fifty Shades effect seems to spike handcuff incidents so we hope film-goers will use common sense and avoid leaving themselves red-faced."

"I'd like to remind everyone that 999 is an emergency number and should only be used as such."

The brigade that, on average, it costs the taxpayer around £295 every time they are called out to an embarrassing incident - which happens on a near daily basis. In November, firefighters in London were called by doctors to King's College Hospital to cut two steel rings from a man's genitals, which he had been unable to remove for three days.

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A spokesman added that while there could be a "funny side" to some of the call-outs, they ultimately "end up wasting emergency service time."

He added: "Our advice is to try and avoid getting in that position in the first place."

Watch the trailer for Fifty Shades of Grey: