WASDALE Mountain Rescue Team recorded its fourth busiest year ever in 2016.

The volunteer rescuers, who cover the Wasdale and Eskdale valleys and Scafell Pike, received 117 emergency calls, of which 73 led to a response on the fells.

Duty team leader Paul Cook's detailed look at the statistics reveals that lost walkers accounted for 35 per cent of calls, while injuries or medical difficulties made up 28 per cent.

August was the busiest month with 20 per cent of the year's callouts. "Those who were involved certainly remember being called out almost every day, sometimes more than once," says Mr Cook in his report.

The team has been assisting walkers in the Lake District's western fells for almost 50 years. Last year saw 11 'cragfast' incidents, the highest number yet, where people were stuck on steep, craggy or difficult ground. Most of these happened between 2pm and 6pm as people made their way off the hill.

The team's main issue for 2016 was a rise in the number of walkers reporting themselves lost on the mountain by mobile phone, especially in the summer holidays and in October, when people were caught out without a torch on shorter days.

Mr Cook said the team has adapted to this trend by talking people down by phone, or by sending a smaller team out to guide a party from a known location. This has kept the number of full-team callouts fairly constant at just over 50 per year.

Mr Cook concluded: "However, it has to be said that the biggest reductions in the team's workload would be achieved by more people taking a torch with them in October and a general improvement in navigational ability and preparation among hill goers, particularly on Scafell Pike."

Meanwhile, 2016 for Langdale and Ambleside MRT was "a little bit quieter than average", said team leader Nick Owen. The team dealt with 95 rescues, whereas past years have typically seen more than 100 callouts.

Kendal MRT's number of callouts for the year was in the mid-40s, said deputy leader Kathryn Jackson. Its busiest year to date was 2015, with 73 callouts - Storm Desmond was classed as just one, although the team attended 47 incidents that weekend.

Last year saw a return to the team's average for previous years.