A TEENAGE girl was rescued by fire fighters after she fell down a steep riverside embankment.

The girl, 16, was taken to hospital for checks after losing feeling in her legs following the incident off Longsight Lane, in Harwood, Bolton.

Firefighters, Bolton Mountain Rescue Team and a water incident rescue boat were called to the scene near Bradshaw Brook.

It is understood that the girl had gone down the banking to retrieve a mobile phone.

A fire service spokesman said firefighters used specialist lighting to locate her in the dark.

She said: "The fire service was quickly on the scene and she was carried to safety using a specialist spine board."

The girl was taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital with suspected back injuries.

Mountain rescue team leader Gary Rhodes said: "We turned up after being called by the ambulance service but the girl was being dealt with.

"She was with a group of friends and they raised the alarm."