FOUR pupils from a Bispham school were air-lifted to safety from the Forest of Bowland with "horrific injuries and suffering from hypothermia".

Fortunately it was all part of a training exercise and, apart from getting damp, no one suffered at all.

Richard Neale, Daniel Cooper, James Gorrie and Michael Senior from Montgomery High School were part of a team of six "casualties" to brave the high winds and heavy rain as part of the day-long exercise.

They played the part of a Duke of Edinburgh expedition group which had fallen into a quarry and was rescued by the North West Air Ambulance team.

They were evacuated by helicopter to the Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue headquarters where they warmed up after their ordeal.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.