STRANDED on a sheer rock face in deadly conditions, five resourceful students used the flashes on their mobile phone cameras to save themselves.

The Newcastle University Mountaineering Club members became stranded on a ledge 800ft up Snowdon in North Wales on Saturday night.

The climbers called for help on mobile phones as darkness descended on them 800ft up the Y Lliwedd rock face. They then used the camera flashes on the mobiles to guide Welsh mountain rescue teams to their location.

Rescuers abseiled down the vertical slope to reach the students, hauling them up and over a ridge where they were led to safety in a gruelling eight-hour operation in windy and wet conditions.

They summoned help at around 7.30pm on Saturday, but did not reach safety until 3.30am the next day - by which time they had run out of food and drink.

The five were Ben Michie, 29; John Chadwick, 23; Andy Gregory, 23, Chris Meikle, 23 and Michael Both, 19.

"We were scared. We thought we knew the route but decided not to risk it and called mountain rescue with our location and status," said Chris Meikle, a PhD student.

"In the meantime we used bivi bags to keep warm and ate chocolate.

"It was John and Andy who used the camera as a beacon for the rescuers.

They used the flash so the mountain rescue team could spot us in the pitch dark and thick fog. Thankfully it worked."

Ian Henderson, secretary of the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team, said: "They were firing the camera flash at regular intervals. "We were able to see the white flash through the gloom which guided us towards them.

"Visibility was poor, about 10 metres, which is normal at this time of year, but the climbers were perfectly sensible."