An elderly man was rescued by a coastguard helicopter after falling over on the coast path near to Swanage.

The man was walking along the coast path at Durlston Country Park yesterday when he lost his footing and started to feel faint.

Emergency services including Dorset Police were called to the scene and coastguards quickly helped to stabilise the man before checking him over for any physical injuries.

Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 175 and a crew of winchmen and paramedics, were dispatched following fears that the ambulance may be delayed.

The elderly man was checked over then placed on a stretcher before he was flown to the ambulance which had arrived at Anvil Point Lighthouse, more than two miles away.

A spokesman for Swanage Coastguard said: "Rather than physically carry the gentleman a fair distance over tricky terrain the helicopter made a single wheel 'light' landing on the sloping hillside sufficient to quickly load the stretcher aboard, and the casualty was then flown the short distance to the ambulance."