Fat dummy

A 28-stone (392lb - 178kg) training dummy has been created to help emergency services cope with the growing number of obese people they have to rescue. Ruth Lee Fire & Rescue Equipment from Corwen, Denbighshire, says it created the mannequin because of the demand from fire and rescue services.

It says it has already had interest from other developing countries. The heavyweight dummy, which takes six people to lift, is believed to be the heaviest and largest in the world. The company, which manufactures fire and rescue and resuscitation dummies, said the demand for its new product reflected the growing obesity problem.

A government-commissioned Foresight report, which is due to be published on Wednesday, is expected to claim that half the UK population could be obese within 25 years.

Lawrence Lee, a director of family-run Ruth Lee Fire & Rescue Equipment, said the 28-stone dummy had to be carefully designed with specific characteristics in place.

"It isn't possible to simply add dead weight to one of our existing dummies, as that does not accurately represent the weight distribution in a larger person," he said.