AN injured man was forced to take shelter in a derelict building in the remote Ullswater fells for 17 hours, on the longest night of the year, after breaking his ankle while walking with a friend.

The accident happened just before darkness on Friday night and with no mobile signal the men chose to find shelter and spend the night on the mountain in stormy conditions.

At first light on Saturday morning the man’s friend descended to the valley to raise the alarm at a farmhouse just above Howtown.

Fifteem members of the Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team and three Landrover ambulances responded.

The Great North Air Ambulance was also scrambled but because of the ‘atrocious’ weather conditions was unable to get near.

Team members climbed to the derelict building with the help of the farmer who transported a stretcher and medical equipment as far as his quad bike would go.

A mountain rescue team spokesman said: “When the team arrived at the man’s location he was sheltering under a nylon sheet. He had poor circulation in his foot and the team treated him for severe pain and placed him a warm casualty bag.

“The team then carried him for about 90 minutes to a waiting Landrover, which had driven through a river to reach him. He was then transported to hospital in an ambulance.”

The rescue lasted four-and-a-half hours.