A NEWLY wed who spent two nights sheltering in a shooting hut after getting lost while walking the Pennine Way is “lucky” to be alive.

The alarm was raised and a 16-hour rescue mission launched in severe weather conditions on Monday after Thomas Miles failed to turn up at the bed and breakfast he was staying at in Dufton.

The 32-year-old from London was walking alone when he got lost between the Langdon Beck Hotel, in Forest in Teesdale, and Dufton.

Fifty-five rescuers from five mountain rescue teams were involved in the two-day search operation along with Mountain Rescue dogs.

RAF Sea King was forced to abort because of the severe weather - which at times saw drifting snow more than five-feet high.

Mr Miles was well-equipped to keep himself warm in the freezing temperatures.

“I had made a wrong turn and could not make out where I was. The wind started to get up, it started snowing and visibility went down to about 50 metres. I was extremely lucky to find shelter - the only shelter on the whole mountain. ” said Mr Miles.

With no mobile phone signal he was forced to spend a second night on Dunn Fell.

He said: "The worst thing was thinking what my wife was going through."”

Mr Miles was picked up by helicopter at 9am on Tuesday, two miles away from his intended route.