A paraglider who broke his back when he crashed into cliffs at St Bees is recovering at home, thanks to the support and generosity of friends and colleagues.

Paramedic Lukasz Mscisz suffered a broken back and a fractured dislocation of his right ankle in the accident on August 9.

Colleagues who work with him at Egremont Ambulance Station were among those who attended the incident.

He was initially airlifted to the major trauma centre in Preston by the Great North Air Ambulance, before being transferred to the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle about 10 days later.

Originally from Poland, Lukasz faced a bill of around £4,500 to get home to his wife and daughter and undergo the rehabilitation he needed.

But, thanks to the support of those around him, £2,270 was raised to help meet his costs.

Fellow paramedic Anna Gos set up an online crowdfunding page, and another colleague, Richard Potter, decided to undertake a 32-mile sponsored run to help the cause.

Richard, 41, of Seaton, followed the route of the annual Workington to Keswick Charity Walk. He began at the Royal British Legion Club in Workington and heading through Branthwaite, Ullock, Loweswater, Buttermere, over Honister Pass and through Borrowdale to Keswick, joined for the last five miles by his supervisor Daniel Reid.

Richard, a keen runner who also enjoys boxing, said: "It's been fantastic to be able to help Lukasz. He's the kind of person who'd have done it for us. If anything had happened to any of his friends or colleagues he'd have been the first person out there organising events and fundraising."

Lukasz, who joined North West Ambulance Service about two years ago after a recruitment drive in Poland, was also helped by colleagues from his native country, who brought an ambulance across to the UK to take him home when he was ready.

He is now undergoing intensive rehabilitation and physiotherapy to get him back to fitness.

His spine had been fixed with titanium pins and Lukasz also suffered a fractured dislocation of the ankle.

He remains employed by North West Ambulance Service and hopes to return to his role in Egremont in the future.