A MAJOR rescue mission on Pendle Hill was launched following a suspected hoax call.

Several members of Rossendale and Pendle Mountain Rescue Team, along with paramedics, police officers, and the force hel-icopter, were called into action.

They had received a report of a girl with an injured leg stranded halfway up the hill at 9pm. But when the team arrived there was no sign of anyone.

Team leader Andy Simpson has called on people to think twice before making a hoax call as they could put someone, in genuine need of help, in danger.

Mr Simpson said paramedics and police went to the Nick o’ Pendle as the helicopter flew overhead, illuminating the hill.Members of the mountain resc-ue team searched along the miners’ track, the steps between the Big End and Pendle House Farm, and Ogden Clough as far as the reservoir dam. But there was no trace of anyone, or anything.

Mr Simpson said: “There is the potential for it to have a detrim-ental effect on the next patient because if we are called to an area when we are already committed to one job, that isn’t actually a job, it stretches us.”

Mr Simpson said another 30 team members were also on stand-by when the call came in at 9pm on Monday. Two teenage girls were spotted sitting on a bench between Barley Village and Pendle House Farm as the team was leaving the scene.

“There was a suspicion about the call because it came from an unknown number.

"If it had come from those girls and they had managed to get off the hill, it would have been nice for them to let us know and we would have no problem with that. It’s isn’t a good idea to make hoax calls, so my message is simple: Don’t do it.”