Teenagers from Bradford on Avon have helped in the rescue of a woman on a freezing Scottish mountain.

The group of Explorer Scouts from the town had been coming down Cairngorm mountain near Aviemore when they were approached by the 29-year-old woman's husband.

The man had approached Scout leader Neil Wills, who was with the Explorer Scouts and a 20-year-old member of an older section, the Network Scouts, Andrew Woodhead.

The group worked with the local mountain rescue team to construct a stretcher to carry the woman, who had broken her leg.

Neil, who has undergone mountain leadership training, said: "About halfway down I was approached by the woman's husband asking if we could alert the rangers to her predicament and mount a rescue when we reached the bottom.

"I saw that we could help them out in a quicker and more efficient way by radioing our bus driver below, who alerted the ranger whilst we made the lady comfy and sheltered her from the elements."

The ranger established that they were around 1,600 ft up the mountain as the temperature dropped below zero, with blowing snow and cloudy conditions as darkness fell.

Andrew joined Explorer Scouts Pete Woodhead, Harry Newman, and David Keiller in building the stretcher at the bottom before going back up the mountain to bring the woman down safely.

Andrew, who wants to become a mountain guide, added: "It was an honour to serve a fellow climber who really needed help, and I would do it again should the occasion arise."

The group caught a special mountain train halfway up the mountain.

Another Scout leader, Eric Johns, who is a former RAF mountain rescue leader, strapped the woman's legs before she was put onto the stretcher and carried by the youngsters back down the slope to a waiting ambulance.

Harry said: "It was my first rescue and my good turn for the day. I felt proud to have played a part in her safe return."

The woman was taken to hospital in Aviemore where she was treated for a break to the lower part of her left leg. She had slipped on compacted snow whilst not wearing crampons in the incident last month.