The Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team has advised walkers to register their phones for a text service which could save lives.

This comes after two walkers who were lost in cloud on the Cheviot Hills were aided by mountain rescuers on Sunday, February 19.

Northumbria Police requested assistance from the Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team and North Of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team at 3.45pm, after reports that the cloud base had lowered and surrounded the walkers.

The two walkers received help after descending below the cloud and sending a picture of what they could see to the mountain rescue team, which ascertained their location as the upper area of the Harthope Burn.

A spokesman for the Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Service said: “The mountains of the UK, including those of the Northumberland National Park, often have poor mobile phone signal.

“The emergency services can be contacted on 999 via text in an emergency, provided the mobile phone has been registered to use the text service. The mountain rescue teams strongly encourage anyone walking on the hills to register their phone, and instructions on how to do this can be found at www.emergencysms.org.uk”