The injured climber is winched into the RAF Sea King at Shepherd's Crag. Photo: Peter Little/Keswick Mountain Rescue Team

A climber was airlifted to hospital after falling on a popular Lake District crag.

The 24-year-old man fell 6m (20ft) from the MGC route on Shepherd’s Crag in Borrowdale today.

Keswick Mountain Rescue Team was called out at 1.30pm and a spokesperson said they were quickly on the scene.

The spokesperson said the climber’s runners held initially on the E2-rated route, but then came out, and the man hit the ground.

“He suffered a fracture of the lower right leg, and a possible injury to his coccyx,” the spokesperson said.

“Fortunately two team doctors and a paramedic were in the first vehicle.

“He was treated, given analgesia, and splinted in a vacuum mattress to stabilise any possible spinal injury.”

The team requested the help of a helicopter and a Sea King from RAF Leconfield in east Yorkshire, which was training nearby with the Wasdale team, flew to the site within five minutes.

The injured climber was winched into the aircraft and flow to hospital in Preston, accompanied by a Keswick MRT doctor.

The rescue lasted almost 1½ hours and involved 19 volunteer members of the team.