A Cumbrian mountain rescue team has shared a picture with the public to underline just how serious a callout could be during the coronavirus outbreak.

Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team is, like all the other mountain rescue teams in Cumbria, is continuing to reinforce the message that people should not take risks on the fells while the lockdown is still in place.

This is still the case after a slight relaxation of the lockdown rules, given the fact that should someone find themselves in need of a mountain rescue team, it would be extremely difficult - potentially impossible - for a response to be conducted while still practicing social distancing.

To illustrate this point, Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team published a picture via their social media depicting what a "normal" mountain rescue effort looks like.

Give the rough terrain in which mountain rescue teams operate, they cannot rely on wheeled trolleys, and must instead use handheld stretchers. To carry a loaded handheld stretcher needs a number of team members standing close to each other and close to the casualty.

If any member of a mountain rescue team then tested positive for Covid-19, all other team members who had been in close proximity would have to self-isolate, potentially preventing the team from being able to respond to a callout - which could put someone's life in jeopardy.

Sharing the picture via social media, a spokesman for the Cockermouth team said: "This is what a summer rescue looks like under normal circumstances.

"During coronavirus, we’ll be trying to do this wearing PPE - for every patient, although quite what we need to wear will vary. Social distancing is clearly impossible.

"Please respect the risks, and don’t push your limits."