Moment two Covidiots rescued after getting stuck climbing cliff

Two Covidiots had to be rescued by fire crews using an aerial ladder after getting stuck at the top of cliffs in the dark.

The pair were handed fines for non-essential travel after they were helped down from Cheddar Gorge in Somerset on Sunday.

Fire appliances and police officers from the Burnham-On-Sea area were called after the alarm was raised about the duo stranded on the cliff face.

Under current Covid-19 restrictions during the national lockdown, people must stay at home unless they have a legally permitted reason to travel.

A police spokesman said: “Specialist fire crews and police attended Cheddar Gorge to rescue two people who found themselves stuck at the top in the dark.

“Their trip to the Gorge was non-essential and resulted in a £200 penalty. It was a costly outing for them and our emergency services.”

An aerial ladder platform was brought in by Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, as pictured to reach the duo.

Government ministers have urged the public to follow the lockdown rules to stop the spread of Covid-19, and while they say the majority are following the rules, others are not adhering to them.

A mountain rescuer was left in a “serious condition” after falling 150m trying to reach a man who suffered chest pains while camping on Red Screes in the Lake District in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The man, dispatched by Patterdale Mountain Rescue, was airlifted to hospital with spinal injuries and facial fractures.

The man with chest pains, who travelled from Leicester, was taken to hospital.

He and one other man, who came from Liverpool, were fined £200 for breaking lockdown rules.

Mountain Rescue team leader Mike Rippon told the BBC that this was a "truly avoidable accident" and said despite warnings for the public not to travel it was "disappointing" that people continued to do so.

Watch: What you can and can't do during England's third national lockdown