FIRE-fighters went to help an elderly woman whose rings had become stuck on her fingers.

A crew from Acomb went to her aid, and removed three rings using ring cutters.

It was one of a number of varied incidents for North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service during their Friday evening shift.

Another crew was mobilised to a report of a skip on fire in Harrogate at 5.48pm but it was a false alarm, caused by youths setting off a dry powder extinguisher.

In Tadcaster, at 6pm, fire-fighters were called to a residential property following a report of an alarm sounding.

"On arrival crews found this to be a false alarm due to smoke caused by a placemat being left on a hob accidentally," said a spokesman. "Crews administered first aid to a male who had fallen, and gained a head injury, whilst awaiting the arrival of ambulance crews."

Just before midnight, a crew from Scarborough responded to a report of a fire in the open, which turned out to be an attended controlled burn.

Several hours later, at 4.52am, a crew was asked to assist the ambulance service to gain entry to a Scarborough property where an elderly man had fallen inside. Crews gained access using a gain kit and left the casualty in care of paramedics to be checked over.