A POLICE helicopter and mountain rescue team embarked on a five hour ‘major search operation’ after a couple walked up to Darwen Tower in the early hours.

Around 3.30am on Sunday the pair became lost on their descent and alerted emergency services, after the man fell, rolled down the hill and hurt his back.

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It is understood the couple, who are from Blackburn but have not been named, had gone up to the tower for a view of lights in Darwen.

Insp Andy Winter, of Lancashire Police, said: “There was some concern regarding his condition as he had lost some feeling in his lower half.

“But they were able to ring through to us and though the search area was vast and dark, we were able to call upon the police helicopter to provide enough light to enable us to locate the pair.”

But due to the nature of the 35-year-old man’s injuries, it took volunteers from Bolton Mountain Rescue Team more than an hour-and-a-half to stretcher him down to a waiting ambulance at the Sunnyhurst Inn. Previously they had also ferried paramedics to the scene.

His female companion, 27, was complaining of an ankle injury and an asthmatic condition and received assistance from medics as the stretcher was brought down.

Team leader Garry Rhodes said 19 volunteers and five police officers were involved, along with four mountain rescue Land Rovers. This was a major rescue operation for us,” added Mr Rhodes.

The man was taken to a specialist unit at the Royal Preston Hospital and the woman was taken to the Royal Blackburn Hospital in a mountain rescue vehicle for treatment.