THE 47th annual two-day Ten Tors walk across Dartmoor was abandoned half-way through because of heavy rain.

The Army began escorting hundreds of teenagers off the moor first thing Sunday morning, with all the 2,400 participants taken off the moor by mid-afternoon on Sunday.

The 400 teams of six young people on the moor range in age from 14 to 20 and compete on 35, 45 and 55-mile routes.

Two Sea King helicopters from RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset joined the operation on Sunday morning, taking four teams in each airlift.

Others were walking off the moor or being taken off by road to Okehampton Camp in Devon. Parents were asked not to pick up their children until midday.

A statement from the organisers said the decision to end the event early was taken at 9.30pm on Saturday evening because of "deteriorating weather conditions".

The decision was also influenced by the high drop-out rate of 15% on Saturday.

An Army spokesman said: "Our priority is to ensure all the people involved are as safe as possible. The weather forecast indicates that the rivers, which are already at their peak, will become increasingly swollen."

"All participants will remain where they are currently camped - safe and with shelter and food.

"They will be moved off the Moor in an orderly and controlled manner."

The event was last severely affected by bad weather in 1996 when 2,100 of the 2,400 taking part were evacuated.

For the first time each team was allowed to carry one mobile phone, for emergencies only.