Cockermouth MRT take part in training at Honister Slate Mine

The rescue team went inside Honister Slate Mine to conduct the training exercise. 

This involved a scenario where the team would search in the darkness for an injured casualty. 

The team prepare to go into the mine (Image: Cockermouth MRT)

In a post on social media, Cockermouth Mountain Rescue wrote: "Our good friends at Honister Slate Mine allowed us to access their facilities on Friday night for some training scenarios.

"It’s quite unnerving searching pitch-black tunnels for an injured casualty with an unknown location inside the mine, but it’s better than being eaten alive by midges outside while trying to haul a sick casualty up the via Ferrata. 

The team inside the mine (Image: Cockermouth MRT)

A 'Letters to Santa' postbox and 'Santa's sleigh' can also be found inside the slate mine, which the mountain rescue team came across. 

This is part of the underground Santa's Grotto which has been used in the winter months as a tourist attraction. 

They added: "We also managed to post our letters to Santa nice and early, having located his postbox in the darkness.

The sleigh inside the mine (Image: Cockermouth MRT)

"Looks like he left a spare sled too, in case he ever suffers a breakdown over the North of England on his flight around the world."