ROSSENDALE Search and Rescue Team went on a mission of a different kind when they paid a visit to Calf Hey Reservoir at Helmshore.

The life-saving team were not called to help save lives but to help train a group of German students on their trek to become paramedics.

The 12 trainees and four instructors from Bremen, spent the weekend at the Coldwell Inn hostel, Burnley, and were put through their paces by the rescue team as they faced various problem solving scenarios.

They were taught how to deal with people with broken bones, what to do if somebody has an asthma attack and how to treat people suffering from hypothermia.

As part of the training the group also visited several locations across the north west, including the lifeboat and air ambulance stations in Blackpool.

Team leader Andy Simpson said the rescuers had been invited on a return trip to Germany and was hoping the scheme would continue in future years.

He said: "All the students had a really good time.

" And considering they were only five months into a 12 month training course and were relatively inexperienced they did really well.

"It was also very useful for our team members.

"It was a bit of a refresher course from our point of view and a bit different from what we'd usually do."