The air ambulance landed at Honister Slate Mine. Photo: GNAAS

A cyclist was seriously injured when he crashed while tackling a charity challenge in the Lake District.

The man was taking part in the Fred Whitton Challenge on Sunday when he came off his machine on the Honister Pass.

The Great North Air Ambulance was scrambled and landed at Honister Slate Mine and crew members were taken by event organisers to the scene where the rider had suffered severe leg injuries and minor head and facial injuries.

A Great North Air Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “The GNAAS doctor-led trauma team assessed and treated the man, in his 40s, before he was flown to hospital in Preston.”

He was airlifted for further treatment in a flight lasting 20 minutes. His condition on arrival at hospital was described as stable.

The Fred Whitton Challenge is a 180km (112-mile) sportive that takes in all the Lake District’s major passes.