AN air ambulance was scrambled after a teenager injured himself while playing rugby.

The chopper, which was dispatched from RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire, landed next to the rugby pitch in Datchworth at 11.50am on Sunday after reports that a 17-year-old had injured his back during the match.

However, after treatment at the scene, the youth was deemed well enough to travel to the Lister Hospital in Stevenage by road and so the helicopter was not required.

Ambulance service spokesman Gary Sanderson said: “Due to the nature of the call and potential risks associated with back injuries, an air ambulance was requested to attend the scene.”