Spider on a pillow is among non-emergency calls to firefighters

London Fire Brigade has revealed some of the strangest requests their control room has received recently

Natalie Hemme, a civil servant from Wallington, Surrey, was lying in bed when the spider bit her. (REX FEATURES)

999 emergency calls for help from firefighters have been made over a lost pair of false teeth, a person who dropped their phone down a toilet - and from someone reporting a spider crawling on a pillow.

London Fire Brigade has revealed some of the strangest requests their control room has received recently in a bid to cut down on the number of obviously non emergency calls.

Animals and creepy crawlies feature prominently in a list of weird calls, with people ringing 999 to report a fox in a garden, squirrels and bats in kitchens, as well as the spider.

An elderly woman threw a glass of water at fighting dogs, forgetting that her false teeth were inside so called for help, while a motorist wanted firefighters to change a tyre.

The control room was also asked to send someone to retrieve a shoe stuck on a garage roof.

Senior Officer Dave Brown said their advice was simple - do not call 999 if it is not a genuine emergency.

“If you're calling because you have a serious phobia, then arrange for a housemate, friend or neighbour to help you", he said.

“If you're calling because there's an unexpected animal in your home, call the RSPCA.

“Firefighters are here for Londoners but we can't be on speed dial when something trivial happens.

“We are here to respond to real emergencies, so if you do find a squirrel in your kitchen or you lose your keys down the toilet, don't dial 999.”

The Brigade has reported receiving approximately 100 unnecessary 999 calls a week in the last 12 months.

Additional reporting by Press Association