The burly crew from Broughton were even more suspicious when they heard the Easter-themed address of the tree - in Lamb Lane.

But the Maundy Thursday shout proved to be genuine. A baby sparrow was indeed in distress in the Wavendon Gate back garden, unable to move from a branch because of fishing line tangled round its leg.

The bird’s mother was on a nearby tree, tweeting frantically at her offspring’s plight.

Firefighters, trained never to flap, swiftly cut off a section of the branch and lifted the sparrow safely to the ground.

“We held it carefully and untangled the line from its leg. It actually was one of the quickest and simplest rescues we’ve done,” said a spokesman for Broughton station.

“We were surprised to say the least when we were called out to rescue a bird stuck in a tree. But it turned out to be a genuine case and we were very pleased to help,” he added.

After the rescue, the baby sparrow happily fluttered away to join its mum.