A MAN who was suffering from kidney pains had to be evacuated from a ship in the North Sea yesterday.

At 2pm, the Teesmouth All Weather Lifeboat received a call from the Humber Coastguard to assist a crewman from the vessel, Sea Magic, which was about three miles east of the River Tees.

The 44-year-old Bulgarian man, who was in considerable pain, was evacuated from the 80,000 tonne vessel and taken by lifeboat to Tees Dock. He was met by a waiting ambulance which transferred him to Middlesbrough General Hospital.