Rescuers prepare to stretcher the walker off the mountain. Photo: Wasdale MRT

A walker was rescued from England’s highest mountain after falling a suffering a suspected broken ankle.

The 51-year-old local woman was coming down from the summit of Scafell Pike yesterday, Sunday, when she stumbled above Lingmell Col.

A team leader from Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team was on the fell at the time and gave the woman first aid while colleagues were called to the scene about 3pm.

Members of Duddon and Furness Mountain Rescue Team joined the Wasdale team on the mountain and the woman was given pain relief and her leg was splinted before being taken from the fell by stretcher and sledge via Lingmell Nose to Brackenclose in Wasdale.

The rescue took five hours and involved 28 volunteer mountain rescue team members, 16 from the Wasdale team and 12 from Duddon and Furness.

A member of the Coniston Mountain Rescue Team, who was also in the area, helped in the rescue, during which team members had to contend with low cloud with rain and sleet high on the fell.

It was the third callout of the year for the Wasdale team.