Mischievous twins Jamie and Freya Kurtin had a lucky escape after they locked themselves in their bathroom with the taps on.

The three-year-old brother and sister, of Barracks Lane, Cowley, Oxford, had gone into the downstairs bathroom on Wednesday morning to clean their teeth and start running the bath.

But rather than wait for mum, Louise Keane, to give them a hand, they tried to manage on their own and while her back was turned, little Jamie bolted the door firmly shut.

Louise, 39, said: "I let them go into the bathroom by themselves for a quiet life and I didn't notice them shut the door. Then they started shouting 'You're not coming in, you're not coming in'. It was only when they realised they could not get out that they panicked and started crying 'let us out, let us out'." Louise, a care assistant with Oxford Group Homes, added: "When I realised they were really trapped, I called the fire brigade. Although I said it wasn't a real emergency they soon turned up, sirens blaring."

"By this time they were both really distressed, so the firemen shoulder charged the door and broke it down.

"When they burst in Freya was standing in her pyjamas in a rapidly filling bath full of cold water, wailing."

Freya said: was in no doubt which of the mischievous pair was to blame for their scrape.

"Jamie locked the door and I was scared and I was crying. I got in the bath and it wasn't very hot."

Louise is now determined that her twins won't be getting up to any more bathroom antics. She said: "We certainly won't be having any more locks on the door. We'll just have to make do with an engaged sign."

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