Police dogs have helped to rescue a man who was trapped under a fallen tree for nearly 12 hours.

The man in his 70s had left his home at about 13:30 BST on Saturday to chop wood in a forest in the Torpoint area of Cornwall and was reported missing at 22:30 when he had not returned.

Police officers and dog handlers searched the wooded area which was too dense for the police helicopter to scan.

Devon and Cornwall Police Supt Ian Thompson said a dog unit found the man "pinned to the ground by a felled tree deep within the forest" at about 00:40.

'Difficult terrain'

He said the man had been treated by paramedics for minor injuries and brought to safety by fire and rescue crews.

Supt Thompson thanked the staff in the force control room for coordinating the search and officers on the ground that had helped the other emergency service workers to reach the man in the remote location.

He said: "It is without doubt that officers' actions helped to save this man's life.

"I'd like to thank all the officers and staff involved in the search. They were faced with difficult terrain and challenging circumstances, but their determination and persistence led to this positive outcome."