Dartmoor campers rescued overnight in 'extreme' weather

The man and woman were found south of Bellever in Dartmoor National Park

Two people and a dog on a camping trip had to be rescued after becoming bogged down in "extremely poor" weather.

The pair, in their late 20s, did not know where they were within Dartmoor National Park when they rang for help just after 02:00 BST, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said.

They were found at 06:30 on moorland near Laughter Hole, suffering from slight hypothermia.

Poor network signal had made it difficult to pinpoint their location.

Ian Lowcock, one of the search managers for Dartmoor Search and Rescue, said two search parties were sent on to the moor and worked with police, the fire service and the ambulance service's hazardous area response team.

He said the man and woman were found "cold but otherwise OK" and it had been their intention to stay overnight on the moor.

"It is perfectly normal and reasonable to do that, people go out and camp in all weathers and actually there is a lot of pleasure to be had camping in bad weather," he said.

However, Tavistock Police said the pair's clothing and equipment had not been suitable and warned people to "come prepared for the worst" when camping in the national park.