WALKERS have been told to take more care after a series of call-outs for mountain rescue teams over the Easter weekend.

There were dozens of incidents in the hills surrounding East Lancashire, including falls from climbers, walkers and mountain bikers.

Paul Durham, from the Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue team, said: “We were kept on our toes over the Easter break.

“Despite asking fell walkers and ramblers to take extra precautions on the lead up to the long weekend the team were scrambled several times.

“At lunchtime on Good Friday the team was paged by the ambulance service to two incidents within a 10-minute window.

“Firstly to a fallen female walker near to White Coppice Chorley with a reported fractured ankle.

“Secondly a report of a mountain biker with head and chest injuries was reported in the Gisburn Forest area of the Ribble Valley near Slaidburn.”

Other incidents saw the team scrambled again on Easter Sunday to assist with the evacuation of an injured woman with leg injuries from Beacon Fell in the Ribble Valley.

The Rossendale and Pendle Mountain Rescue Team has also been called into action a number of times in the last fortnight.

In the first week of the Easter holidays the team attended Pendle Hill to assist the North West Air Ambulance locate a crashed paraglider.

They were called back to the hill on Tuesday April 19 to help with another crashed paraglider.

And shortly after midday on Good Friday, the volunteers helped tend to a 37-year-old woman who hurt her leg while out walking on the hill.

Over the Easter holidays the team has also assisted fallen mountain bikers and walkers at Lee Quarry, Rossendale, and Holcombe Hill, near Ramsbottom.