A MOUNTAIN rescue team were called out to help find five walkers lost in the fells.

Coniston Mountain Rescue Team were dispatched by Cumbria Police to Birk Fell on Tuesday to help locate a group of lost walkers.

Teams headed out at 6.29pm to find the walkers after attempts to contact the group via mobile were unsuccessful.

Three Land Rovers were dispatched to find the group who had walked down the lower slopes of Birk Fell.

They were discovered 'soaked through' and 'cold' by rescue teams and transported back to base.

The incident took over two hours and involved 16 volunteer team members and a volunteer search dog.

A spokesman for CMRT said: "Cumbria Police asked us to help a group of five walkers lost in the Birk Fell area.

"The group was found fairly quickly on the lower slopes of Birk Fell, soaked through and cold.

"They were transported back to base and given warm drinks.

"Another member of their party arrived with dry clothing, and they went on their way."