AN eleven-year-old boy had to be rescued when he slid down a sand dune and injured his back.

The boy, who was with his father, slipped about half-way down the sandy incline at the back of Hartlepool Golf Course at about 5.20pm today.

Firefighters from the Coulby Newham station used line rescue equipment to lower the youngster down the cliff face on a rescue.

He was tended to by paramedics and ailifted to hospital by the Great North Air Ambulance.

The rescue operation took about 30 minutes to complete. The boy's injuries are not though to be serious.