A person has been hospitalised after a ship collided with a crane at a port near Newcastle, police said.

Pictures showed the crumpled dockside crane leaning on a cargo ship at the Port of Tyne in South Shields after emergency services were called at 1.02pm this afternoon.

The injured person was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary with injuries not believed to be life-threatening and remains in hospital.

Containers on board the BG Orange cargo ship, operated by BG Freight Line, appeared crumpled by the collapsed crane in images.

It is unclear what damage was done to the 170m (557ft) ship, which docked on Tyneside at 4.25am this morning according to Vessel Finder.

The Port of Tyne is a ten-hectare (100,000-square-metre) site on the north bank of the River Tyne around 3km (1.8mi) from the open sea and 14.4km (9mi) east of Newcastle.

A Northumbria Police spokesman said: ‘Just after 1pm today, we received a report of concern for the safety of a person at the Port of Tyne in South Shields.

‘It was reported that, for reasons yet to be established, a ship had collided with a crane.

A crane at the Port of Tyne was seen slumped on a cargo ship this afternoon

Police said a ship had collided with a crane before emergency services were called at 1pm

One person was taken to hospital, thoguh their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening

The BG Orange ship docked at the port in the early hours of this morning, according to Vessel Finder

‘Emergency services attended and a man was found to have sustained injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

‘He was taken to hospital for treatment, where he remains.

‘Enquiries remain ongoing to fully understand the circumstances.’

A North East Ambulance Service spokesman told the Mail it had sent three ambulances, two clinical team leaders and three Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) vans to the port.

One HART van remained at the scene to support the fire service and Great North Air Ambulance Service also assisted the medics.