AN injured walker was rescued from a beauty spot on Dorset's coastline by lifeboat and coastguard crews.

The UK Coastguard headquarters was informed of a walker who had fallen and sustained a leg injury at Dancing Ledge yesterday afternoon - with a swift response from local rescue teams.

St Albans coastguard volunteers were called and both Swanage lifeboats were requested to attend - with a seaborne rescue "a possibility," a coastguard spokesman said.

"The St Albans coastguard team arrived first and assessed the casualty – deciding that an evacuation by sea was indeed the safest and quickest option," the spokesman added.

"The D-class inshore lifeboat arrived shortly afterwards and transferred equipment including pain-relieving gas from the all-weather lifeboat. A short time later the casualty was transferred by stretcher via the inshore lifeboat to the more comfortable all-weather lifeboat for passage back to shore.

"An ambulance was requested, and a rendezvous arranged at the chain ferry steps. A while later the lifeboat was secured alongside the steps and the casualty passed over to the waiting ambulance crew to complete their trip to hospital."