Changes in guidelines for helping obese people are being demanded today after firefighters were called to a house four times last week to lift a 41-stone man.

Robert Marsden needed ten firefighters to move him 2ft across his bed at his council flat in Grangemouth, Stirlingshire.

Fire brigade leaders complained that crew should not be dealing with such matters when they could be called out to an emergency.

Four calls were made in one week to Central Scotland fire and rescue service, which sent crews to Marsden's home three times after one call was cancelled.

Gordon McQuade, local secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said: "If someone is in need of urgent medical attention and a doctor or medical personnel think firefighters should go and help that is no problem. But this was not the case.

"The crews had to move the gentleman two feet across the bed. We've got no specialist equipment - it was sheer brute force.

"If you want us to do that type of work you need to start providing the training and equipment. It's a shame, being 41 stone can't be much fun. But it's not a proper use of resources."

But Marsden said he did not understand why there was such a fuss. "The firemen came here and got on with their job, and once they were finished they went on to their next job," he told newspapers. He said he was grateful to the firemen for their help.

Central Scotland fire and rescue has been called out 12 times in the past eight months to help move obese people. A meeting has been organised for next Tuesday between various agencies to discuss new ways of tackling the problem in the area, a union official said.