Emergency services were forced to deploy a coastguard helicopter to save someone from a church tower over the Coronation weekend, following a suspected medical episode. Although the official reason for the emergency response has not been announced, the woman in question had to be winched to safety.

The incident occurred at Probus Parish Church in Cornwall, an Anglican church in the Diocese of Truro.

The tower is the tallest of any parish church in the county. After being winched from the tower via a coastguard helicopter, the woman was then transferred to the air ambulance, within which she was rushed to hospital.

In a statement released after the incident, Probus Parish Church said: "We are incredibly grateful to all the excellent emergency services who were involved in the incident at church today.

"Please be aware there is some damage to the church tower following the evacuation, so please respect any signage and fencing in the churchyard which is for your safety. Specifically, the path on the Wagg Lane side of the tower is closed until further notice."

The church had been hosting a day of celebrations to mark The Big Lunch – an initiative to mark the Coronation.

People nearby had been enjoying a street party, with the church offering refreshments, a raffle and various activities.

A spokesperson for the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) said: "We received a call at 13:38 on Sunday 7 May regarding an incident at Probus Parish Church. The incident required a multi-agency response including Devon and Cornwall Police, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service and HM Coastguard. SWASFT dispatched two double-crewed land ambulances and an operations officer."