Rescue team's 'busiest ever year'

Eighteen incidents have already been reported by the team in 2006

Search and rescue volunteers in Bolton have just had the busiest year in their history, figures have shown.

The Bolton Mountain Rescue team, which covers the West Pennine Moors, Greater Manchester and south Lancashire, attended 135 incidents in 2005.

The team, formed in 1968, searches for missing or injured walkers and people hurt in biking and climbing accidents. It also supports emergency services.

Eighteen incidents have already been reported by the team in 2006.

Past call outs include attending a crashed aircraft, a number of crashed hang gliders and searches to find people lost on difficult terrain.