The walkers were lost in the Broad Crag area

A mountain rescue team spent almost 10 hours searching for a lost pair of walkers on England’s highest peak who eventually rang to say they had reached safety and were miles away from the scene.

Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team was alerted by police yesterday about 4.10pm when the two rang for help saying they were lost in thick mist while coming down from Scafell Pike.

The walkers had left the path and could not find their way.

A Wasdale MRT spokesperson said: “Based on their description they were in the boulder field on Broad Crag.

“The team leader tried to provide directions over the phone but as soon as they moved phone contact was lost and not regained.

“After waiting some hours for the pair to walk out unaided and with no further contact a search of the Broad Crag area was undertaken to confirm they were not still high on the mountain.”

Thirteen volunteer members of the team took part in the search of the area, north-east of the 978m (3,209ft) summit. The operation stretched into the night as rescuers attempted to find the pair.

The spokesperson said: “As we were approaching Broad Crag summit we were contacted around 11.30pm by the pair who were now in the Keswick region to say they were safe and well.”

The rescuers were then left with a retreat from the fell which ended at 2am.

The incident was the team’s 46th this year.