A NINE-year-old boy was stretchered off the fells after sustaining a head injury while walking in the Lake District.

It was one of two back-to-back callouts for mountain rescuers on Saturday afternoon.

The other involved a female cyclist, who had come off her bike.

The injured boy, who was with a large group of friends and adults, had fallen and cut his head.

It happened at Hole Rake, a path between Tilberthwaite and Coppermines Valley, over the Yewdale fells.

Coniston Mountain Team was called out to assist the North West Ambulance Service. The team's three Land Rovers were deployed to the scene.

The team said: "The boy was feeling a bit groggy, but fortunately nothing more serious.

"He was fully assessed, given oxygen, bandaged and stretchered off the fell to a waiting land ambulance at Tilberthwaite."

This incident, at about 3.45pm, came straight after another at Cockley Beck.

The team said: "A female cyclist had fallen off her bike and possibly sustained a broken femur, which can be a very serious injury.

"Our first Land Rover left quickly via Little Langdale and Wrynose Pass, locating the casualty near Cockley Beck.

"The air ambulance paramedics had just landed, so we were stood down as they were able to deal with the incident."

Mountain rescue volunteers spent almost four hours dealing with the two incidents.