A YOUNG woman feared to have taken a drug overdose was rushed to hospital after a volunteer search team found her unconscious in a back alley in the freezing cold.

Members of Bucks Search and Rescue found the 38-year-old woman behind the Natwest bank, East Street, Chesham, in the early hours of Sunday morning.

It is believed the woman, who has not been identified, left a residential home in Chesham before phoning a friend to say she was going to kill herself. She is thought to have been taken to Wycombe Hospital.

Bob Barrett, the group's commander, explained they received a call from police at about 2.30am.

He said: "They said they had a missing woman who had phoned a friend at 11pm to say she was going to commit suicide.

"They had been trying to look for her but they couldn't find her."

The volunteers met with police one hour later for a briefing at Chesham Railway Station, Station Road, before beginning their search kitted-out with radios to keep in regular contact.

Mr Barrett added: "At about 4.20am we got a radio message from one of the teams saying they had found her in an alley at the back of a shop.

"She was unconscious and very, very cold. From the state of her, it looked as if she had taken an overdose.

"We don't mind coming out in the middle of the night.

"We'd much rather come out at 2.30 in the morning and find someone alive than start the search at first light and find them dead."

Bucks Search and Rescue has about 30 volunteers and was established as a charity 14 years ago assisting the police, and the other emergency services.

Kate Spark, police spokesman, said: "We were very concerned for the woman who had gone missing in Chesham and we are very grateful to Bucks Search and Rescue for their support."