A walker who sparked a search after failing to turn up at a hotel was last night found safe and well after he slipped in some bracken on the Long Mynd.

The alert was raised at around 9pm last night by members of a walking group when one of their members failed to turn up at their hotel in Church Stretton.

The group had set off from the Bridges Pub in Ratlinghope at around 2pm yesterday.

One of the members, a male in his 80’s, left a little after the main group and stated he would meet up with the group at the other side of the Long Mynd in Church Stretton.

A West Mercia Police Spokesperson said: “A large amount of officers were involved in the search over the vast area along with specialist search teams, the Fire Brigade and National Trust Rangers.

“Thankfully the gent was found just after midnight by members of the search party. He was found on the Long Mynd in some bracken of which he had slipped down into. Paramedics checked the gent over and he was dropped off at his hotel for a good nights sleep.”