A GROUP of Bury teenagers has won high praise after rescuing a family who got lost in the Lake District.

The Year 10 lads from Woodhey High School were doing their silver practice expedition for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award when the drama unfolded on Sunday (May 2).

A family had set off for an hour's walk in the fells above Boot in the Eskdale Valley when they got lost in difficult terrain. They became distraught when their daughter, who has epilepsy, missed her medication, which she had left at their lodgings.

The Woodhey team (Oliver Hope, Calum Cookson, Peter Seddon, Adam Bird, Matthew Dimitrov and Mike Haworth) used their navigational skills to escort the family across the fells and back down to the village and their accommodation.

The teenagers continued on their route to their wild camp and completed their expedition. They will tackle their final silver and gold expeditions later in the year.

The weekend was organised by Bury Council's youth service. Pete Jones, the council's outdoor activity co-ordinator, said: "These youngsters showed true mettle when a difficult and surprising situation arose. Their calmness and public spirit in helping this family back to safety was outstanding."