TWO men have been rescued from a disused mine after they got into difficulty and became trapped inside.

Emergency services and rescue crews, including the  were called to High Skears Mine in Upper Teesdale at 12.47pm this afternoon.

It is understood that the two men had walked into the disused lead mine, which is a horizontal mine located in the Hudeshope Valley near Middleton-in-Teesdale, and became stuck.

A total of six fire crews from Middleton-In Teesdale, Durham, Newton Aycliffe, Seaham, Consett and the Special Rescue Unit from Bishop Auckland responded to the incident.

The Northern Echo:

Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team, Cumbrian Ore Mines Rescue Unit, Cumbrian Mountain Rescue, Great North Air Ambulance, North East Ambulance Service HART Team were all in attendance.

County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service Group Manager Phil Innis said: “A multi-agency plan led by Cumbrian Ore Mines Rescue Unit was implemented to reach the men who were approximately half a mile underground.

"Luckily, both men were rescued safely and uninjured and I’d like to thank our crews and all of the agencies involved their professionalism in what was an extremely complex rescue in challenging conditions.”