A WORKER from Teesside who died in a North Sea helicopter crash was named yesterday as 45-year-old Stuart Coggon.

The body of the AMEC draughtsman from Middlesbrough was one of five recovered from the sea off the Norfolk coast.

Police named another Middlesbrough man among six other people who remain missing. He is Douglas Learwood, aged 40, an instrument technician employed by Shell.

The families of both men were too distressed to talk about the tragedy last night.

A neighbour of Mr Coggon, of Clevegate, Nunthorpe, said: "This is a terrible tragedy and the family just want to be left alone to come to terms with their loss."

The family of Mr Learwood, whose home is only a mile away in Rushmere, Marton, were being comforted by friends and neighbours.

Mechanical failure is thought to be the most likely explanation to the Sikorsky S-76 "spiralling down" some 30 miles off Cromer on Tuesday night.

It had been ferrying the offshore workers between North Sea gas rigs and platforms.

Mr Coggon was among five of the victims named as an inquest was opened into their deaths by Great Yarmouth Coroner Keith Dowding.

The others were: AMEC engineer Philip Stone, 53, of Norwich; Angus MacArthur, 38, of Maryburgh, Scotland; Denis Kelleher, 40, from Lytham St Anne's, Lancashire; and AMEC technician Kevin Taylor, 50, also from Norwich.

Mr Dowding asked about the operation to find the missing people and the helicopter. Detective Superintendent Chris Grant said: "There's a tremendous amount of effort being put in."

The inquest was adjourned until September 5.

The six missing men are: Mr Learwood; Geoffrey Bispham, 51, from North Walsham, Norfolk; David Graves, 33, of Beccles, Suffolk; and Paul Francis, 48, from Norwich; pilot Phillip Mark Wake, 42, from the Norwich area; and co-pilot Phillip Dearden, 32, also from Norwich.