STRIKING firefighters abandoned their picket duty when toddler Toby Firth turned up with his finger stuck in a plughole.

Crews at Leigh fire station went into action when the 14-month-old tot arrived with the plug hole and drain still attached to his hand.

He had wandered into the bathroom and stuck his finger in the shower's drain.

The firefighters worked for15 minutes to cut away the chunks of metal while Toby sat in his dad Gary's arms.

The little boy, of Astley Street, Tyldesley, was quite upset by his ordeal but his older brother Oliver, aged three, had a great time being shown round a fire engine.

Gary said: "Toby is in to everything -- his big brother was no trouble. I turned my back for a minute and he was in the bathroom."

Toby's mother Beckie Talbot, aged 22, tried to free him when the accident happened on Saturday morning. Eventually, Gary, aged 29, had to remove the plug hole and drain and took him along to the Leigh Walk-in health centre with it still attached to his finger. But the staff were unable to help and sent the toddler and his parents to the picket line.