BOLTON Mountain Rescue Team faced a busy weekend after being called to help four people in the space of 16 hours.

Volunteers were asked by the ambulance service on Sunday to help an injured mountain bike rider with an elbow injury near Rivington Barn.

The team managed to carry the casualty to safety and to an ambulance.

On their way back to the team's base, ambulance staff requested for them to help someone who had slipped on ice on a footpath near Pigeon Tower in Rivington.

A spokesman for the organisation said: "The team, already being in the area, were able to respond quickly and convey the casualty by stretcher to a waiting ambulance at Lower House Car Park.

"Our thanks go to the two gentlemen who guided us in.

We hope all the casualties make a quick recovery, and would remind people that wintry conditions still prevail on high ground where there is significant ice under foot.

"Please stay local and take great care while enjoying the outdoors."

These two incidents followed a report the rescue team received on Sunday morning.

As volunteers were performing monthly maintenance on vehicles and equipment they were asked to help the Rossendale and Pendle Mountain Rescue Team (RPMRT) with a casualty in the Edenfield area.

A spokesman said: "RPMRT themselves had two other incidents ongoing, so we attended with two vehicles and eight team members to assist a casualty who had slipped on ice while out walking, suffering an ankle injury.

"The team extracted the casualty by stretcher to a waiting ambulance."

Volunteers were also called by the ambulance service at midnight on Saturday to help rescue a casualty in a difficult area to access.

But as the team were on their way, the person managed to get themselves to safety.