MOUNTAIN Rescue Teams have been called out to help three injured walkers in the last two weeks along Hadrian's Wall.

Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team and North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team were called out to assist injured walkers in two separate incidents last week, following an incident on Saturday, October 2.

Last Wednesday (October 6), North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team were called to assist North East Ambulance Service in the rescue of a walker who had fallen and sustained a leg injury near Carrawbrough on Hadrian's Wall.

Team leader Keith Briggs said: "As the local community paramedic was travelling, we quickly deployed two response vehicles and alerted our volunteers as it looked like it would be a potentially lengthy carry."

He said once on the scene, it became apparent that a 4x4 vehicle could get very close to the casualty.

The team carried the injured walker on a stretcher a short way to a team vehicle before transporting over fields them to a crewed NEAS ambulance.

The incident involved 12 mountain rescue team members for three hours. A further 15 stood down while travelling.

In the second incident of the week, a female walker collapsed whilst on a walk between Steel Rigg and Sycamore Gap.

Again, the North East Ambulance Service requested the support of mountain rescue as it looked like the casualty would need to be carried up to one mile before they could be transferred to an ambulance.

Mountain Rescue volunteers were again called out from both teams. Within 30 minutes, local team members were on scene and assisting the casualty before handing the woman over to paramedics from the NEAS Hazardous Area Response Team.

Once the casualty was stabilised, she was transported to a NEAS ambulance in one of the mountain rescue vehicles.

On the recent spate of incidents along Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team Leader Iain Nixon said: "All of the incidents we've attended have been genuine accidents and could have happened to anyone.

"Given the popularity of walking along Hadrian's Wall, it's not that with increased visitors, there is a chance that there will be more incidents.

"All we would ask is that as autumn is here, that members of the public equip themselves appropriately for a potentially lengthy wait in dropping temperatures; a survival shelter, spare layers and torch are essential pieces of kit that should be carried at this time of year."