'Ghastly' ravine fall for boy

The boy is in intensive care

A 12-year-old boy is seriously ill after falling from the top of a disused bridge into a ravine in Lancashire.

The unnamed boy was airlifted to the intensive care unit at the Royal Preston Hospital after the incident.

He suffered head, spine, and internal injuries when he lost his footing at the site of an old railway tunnel known as The Glen.

A Lancashire Constabulary spokeswoman described the fall at Waterfoot, near Rawtenstall, as a "ghastly accident".

It is thought the boy lives locally, but it is not clear if he was playing alone or with friends.

Emergency services were called to the ravine at 1700 BST on Wednesday.

When they arrived, along with members of the Rossendale Fell and Mountain Rescue Team, he was semiconscious.