A GROUP of teenage girls who became lost on the Black Mountains were rescued by a Longtown team on Sunday.

Longtown Mountain Rescue Team was called at 4pm by police after a group of 14 and 15-year-old scouts lost their way in rain and low cloud on Offa's Dyke.

The girls, from Amersham in Buckinghamshire, were on a Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme expedition and had camped at Llanthony before setting off on Sunday morning.

But at nearly 2,000ft on Offa’s Dyke path the visibility deteriorated rapidly down to just five metres in the driving wind and rain.

Dave Bevan, Longtown MRT search manager, said: “The group did exactly the right thing. After becoming lost they set up their tent for protection from the environment and called for help.

"We sent up three hill parties to search for them and they were located near the cairn on Loxidge Tump, well away from the main path.

“As you can imagine they were very pleased to see us. They were cold and tired but otherwise unharmed.”

The group was led off the hill and checked over at Longtown MRT’s Control vehicle before being reunited with the rest of their group.