A father and son from a village near Ludlow are being treated for frostbite after getting lost in snow while climbing in the Pyrenees.

Andrew Taylor and his teenage son Daniel, a student at Herefordshire College of Technology, spent almost 24 hours sheltering in a cave 9,000ft up in the mountain range before being rescued.

It is believed the pair from Little Hereford were airlifted along with six other mountaineers after getting lost on Saturday night.

Despite a rescue team being sent out early on Sunday the group was not found until about 6pm.

Mr Taylor, who is the principal of the Bockleton Study Centre in Tenbury Wells, and his son are now recovering in a Spanish hospital.

Matt Costain, a spokesman for the Foreign Office, said: “We are aware of the case and we will be offering assistance.”

A spokesman from Birmingham City Council, which runs the Bockleton Study Centre, said: “Staff at the centre were shocked to hear about the incident and we wish Mr Taylor and his son a speedy recovery.”

No-one from the Herefordshire College of Technology was available to comment this morning.

Friends and neighbours of the family described Mr Taylor as an experienced climber.

One resident, who did not want to be named, said: “Mr Taylor is a very experienced chap. They are big in outdoor pursuits.”