Swirl How, with the Old Man of Coniston and Dow Crag in the distance. Photo: Bob Smith/grough

Two lost walkers were rescued from a Lake District summit, believing they were on a different mountain.

Coniston Mountain Rescue Team was alerted by police about 8pm on Wednesday when the pair called for help after becoming disoriented in mist.

The team said it had been a wet and cloudy afternoon.

A Coniston MRT spokesperson said: “They thought that they were on the Old Man of Coniston, but Cumbria police location references placed them on Swirl How.

“We were unable to get through to them on the phone, so despatched teams in three directions to ensure that we would find them.

“They were found at the summit of Swirl How, given some dry warm clothing, and then escorted down. Once at the base they had warm drinks and food before they set off back to their accommodation.”

The incident involved 16 team members and lasted 5½ hours, ending at 1.30am on Thursday.