Two cheese-rolling contestants taken to hospital

Two people had to be taken to hospital from the traditional cheese-rolling races in Gloucestershire on Monday.

Held on Cooper's Hill, which has an incredibly steep gradient, the annual event drew thousands of spectators to watch competitors from across the world chase large cheeses down the hill.

South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) said it sent an air ambulance and five land ambulances to the event after the first race, at about 12:15 BST.

The races are labelled "unsafe" by the local authority and are classed as an extreme sport.

German YouTuber Tom Kopke, who won one of the men's races for the second year in a row, told the BBC the slope was "dry and unforgiving" after weeks of largely dry weather, and that he had "risked his life" taking part.

A spokesperson for SWASFT said: "We were called at 12:17hrs on Monday 26 May to an incident at Cooper's Hill, Gloucestershire.

"We sent five double-crewed land ambulances, an air ambulance, an operations officer, a doctor, a first responder and the hazardous area response team to the scene.

"We conveyed two patients by land ambulances to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital."

While ambulances were able to access Cooper's Hill this year, there have been times paramedics have struggled to access to the site, with the cheese rolling said to put a strain on emergency services.

Tewkesbury Borough Safety Advisory Group (SAG) warned the public that the event was dangerous.

In advance of this year's races, the group said it had safety concerns, one being whether the emergency services would be able to respond to a potential "major incident" involving multiple casualties.

As reported by the BBC on Monday, one person from the first men's race was taken to hospital.

Murray Stewart, a Tewkesbury Borough Councillor, said the council does not want to stop the event from happening in future, but does have safety concerns.

"The Safety Advisory Group has been left with no alternative other than to declare the event unsafe and has a duty to share this with the public," Mr Stewart said.

Despite the safety warnings, the event continues to attract people from across the globe.

American YouTube sensation IShowSpeed needed medical treatment after taking part in the 2024 event.

German YouTuber Tom Kopke claimed victory in one of the men's downhill races for the second consecutive year on Monday.

The cheese rolling, believed to date back 600 years, is largely staffed by volunteers.

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