A footballer had to be flown to hospital by air ambulance after an accident in a North-East village.

Shaun Robinson, 21, was flown to Dryburn hospital, in Durham City from isolated St John's Chapel, in Upper Weardale.

Other players feared the right midfield player from Cockton Hill Workmen's Club, in Bishop Auckland had suffered a broken leg in a challenge by a St John's Chapel defender.

The rest of the Wear Valley Sunday Morning League match was called off with St John's Chapel leading 1-0.

As the player recovered in Durham City last night, ambulance officials renewed their pleas for would-be ambulancemen and women to come forward for the Dales.

Officially the St John's Chapel ambulance station needs five people to run smoothly, but numbers have fallen to just three - and officials fear it could go lower.

A spokesman for Durham and Northumbria Ambulance Service said: "We couldn't run the station with just two people. It's down to the bone already."

Cockton Hill FC's team secretary Brian Oliphant said of Mr Robinson: " We kept him as comfortable as we could but we daren't move him. It seemed like a long wait. It was raining and cold."

Will Noble, secretary for the home side, said: "It looked a bad break. It was probably made worse by the muddy conditions.