The walkers were found in the Mickledore stretcher box between Scafell Pike and Scafell

More than 50 volunteer mountain rescuers from four different teams were involved in an eight-hour search for two walkers lost on England’s highest mountain.

The pair left the 978m (3,209ft) summit of Scafell Pike in the wrong direction yesterday, Sunday.

When they failed to return to the valley, Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team was called out at 5.25pm.

Handlers and animals from Lake District Mountain Rescue Search Dogs joined 14 Wasdale team members in a major hunt for the pair across the Central Fells of the Lake District, involving the neighbouring teams from Keswick, Duddon and Furness, and Langdale Ambleside.

A spokesperson for the Wasdale team said: “The casualties were found in the Mickledore stretcher box by a Wasdale search team around 11:30pm.

“They had descended from the summit in the wrong direction. We guided the pair down to Wasdale Head which involved crossing Lingmell Gill in spate.”

The rescue ended after almost 8½ hours at 1.50am today.