A CLIMBER from Bolton killed when he plunged 1,000ft from a mountain had been having problems with his climbing equipment it was revealed today.

Rescuer Dave Freeborn, team leader of the Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team has revealed the circumstances which led to Michael Hollinshead's death.

He had been walking on Brown Cove on Helvellyn in the Lake District at about 2pm on Wednesday when he realised his spikes were not properly attached.

As he sat down to adjust them, he was caught by a gust of wind travelling at around 70 miles per hour.

That knocked him over the edge and sent him plummeting 300 metres.

His companion acted immediately, making his way down what is one of the Lake District's highest mountains in a bid to find his friend.

He then raised the alarm and the mountain rescue crew was assembled.

They found Mr Hollinshead within 30 minutes, Mr Freeborn said.

A search dog located the climber at around the same time as the helicoper - which was using heat seeking technology - spotted him.

Mr Freeborn said: "We found him in a valley where the wind was still gusting. He was cold and wet and was suffering multiple injuries and hypothermia.

"The RAF helicopter had flown from Anglesey and the casualty was taken to hospital in Barrow.

"Although it was not hard to reach the casualty, there was snow on the ground and there was a gale force wind."

"We took a team of around 15 rescuers to find him."

A spokesman for Cumbria Police has confirmed that Mr Hollinshead, aged 62, from Egerton, died after falling around 300 metres.

He said: "Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team attended the scene and moved the casuality by stretcher further down the valley where he was transported by RAF holicopter to Barrow's Furness General Hospital where he was pronounced dead as a result of injuries caused in the fall."

The file has now been passed onto the coroner Ian Smith.