Pennine Way hill runners with hypothermia rescued from hut

Two hypothermic runners had to be rescued from a hilltop hut after being caught out by overnight snow and biting winds in a race along the Pennine Way.

Rescue teams from both sides of the Scotland-England border were called out at about 06:00 on Sunday.

The two Spine Race competitors were in the Auchope Refuge Hut near the summit of The Cheviot.

They were assessed by medics and taken to a nearby Landrover and on to the race finish at Kirk Yetholm.

The Spine Race is widely regarded as one of the world's toughest endurance races.

It takes place along the 268-mile (429km) Pennine Way from Edale in Derbyshire to Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders.

The two competitors were near the finish when Borders Search and Rescue Unit (BSARU) and Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team (NNPMRT) were called out by the Spine Race's event safety team.

"So close to completing the 268-mile challenge, these participants were caught in overnight snow showers blown in on a biting wind as they attempted to navigate the icy slabs and snow-covered stony paths of the Pennine Way," said a BSARU statement.

"Hats off to them for getting this far.

"The Border Ridge is an unforgiving place at this time of year as previous Spine participants can testify."

NNPMRT said they were called out amid fears one of the competitors might need to be stretchered off the hill.

It said both runners and the event safety medic were able to be transported off the hill and safely taken to Kirk Yetholm.

"A fantastic example of cross-border working with a really good outcome for all concerned," it said.

"Many thanks to our colleagues from over the border for their assistance."

It is not the first time BSARU has been called out to assist runners in the hills on the Scotland-England border.

There have been a number of incidents dating back to 2013 when the Spine Race first started.