A WALKER who was taken ill 1,400 feet up while on the Black Mountains was rescued on Sunday.

The 71-year old man, from Hereford, had been walking down from Offa’s Dyke Path when he became ill on Loxidge Tump, above Llanthony Priory.

A group of walkers came to his aid and called for help. Abergavenny’s Longtown Mountain Rescue Team was called out by Gwent Police at about 3.30pm.

The rescuers quickly located the man and he was treated at the scene by team medics before being carried by stretcher off the mountain.

Longtown MRT search manager Len Harbottle said: “The walking group did exactly the right thing in calling for help and sheltering the man until we arrived. Twenty two members of the team attended the call out which took about four hours in total.

“It was a busy weekend because of the Three Peaks Trial on Saturday and we were glad to be able to get on-scene and the gentleman off the mountain so quickly. We wish him a speedy recovery.”