A MAN suffered severe injuries when he was crushed while unloading a container ferry.

It is believed that the man was dragged for ten metres along the deck while he was working on the Bore Song ferry, which had travelled from Zeebrugge to Teesport, Teesside on Friday.

The accident happened as the man was working near a piece of mobile plant on the roll-on roll-off ferry at the terminal, which is operated by PD Ports.

Staff immediately alerted the emergency services and the man was taken to hospital for treatment.

A PD Ports spokesman said: "We can confirm there was an incident on the Bore Song vessel at Teesport on Friday, June 22. The emergency services were called to the scene and the injured crew member of the vessel was taken to hospital for further treatment. We understand that the crew member is recovering well in hospital.

"We greatly appreciate the efforts of our staff and emergency services in reacting to this incident. A full investigation will now take place. We are unable to offer any further comment at this time."

Last night, a spokeswoman for the Health and Safety Executive confirmed officers would be investigating the incident.

She said: "We can confirm that an investigation has been launched and we will be visiting the site to perform our inquiries."