TWO walkers sparked a six-hour £20,000 rescue operation after losing their way in the northern Pennines at the week-end.

Police, mountain rescue workers, search dogs and an RAF helicopter were all drafted in to help the high-altitude hunt for the two women, who were finally taken to safety in the early hours of yesterday.

The women, one of whom was 70 years old, rang police after getting lost 2,500ft up Cross Fell, the highest mountain in the Pennines.

Officers from Cumbria Police initially enlisted the help of the Penrith Mountain Rescue Team following the call just after 8pm on Saturday.

As midnight passed in the search for the pair, the Penrith volunteers called for the support of the neighbouring Teesdale and Weardale Search and Rescue Team.

An RAF Sea King helicopter was also despatched from the station at Boulmer, in Northumberland.

Eventually, the women contacted police to say they could see the helicopter, but that they believed it was several miles away from them.

Using the mobile phone signal, rescuers were able to pinpoint the pair's location, near Cow Gill, and reached them at 2.20am yester-day.

Steve Owers, of the Teesdale and Weardale team, said: "Our efforts included about 15 members and a search dog being sent out.

"They were probably still at about 2,500ft when they were found and Cross Fell is 3,500ft."

A Cumbria Police spokesman said the two women, who were from the Bristol area, were checked by a doctor after they had been airlifted to safety.

Neither was injured in the incident and they were given help in finding bed and breakfast accommodation.

The operation is expected to have cost between £15,000 and £20,000.

The police spokesman said: "We had to use the helicopter, simply because one of them was quite elderly."