Man airlifted to hospital after picking up poisonous fish

A beach-walker was airlifted to hospital after picking up a poisonous fish at a Welsh seaside resort.

The 70-year-old man was left struggling to breathe after being stung by the weever fish.

He was airlifted to hospital with respiratory problems after he was stung by the poisonous spines.

The man was near the pier in Trefor on the Llyn Peninsula, North Wales, on Saturday morning when he spotted the fish - and picked it up in shallows.

The fish stung his hand and the alarm was raised by a coastguard team.

A Coastguard spokesman said: "Weever fish have spines going along their backs. It's a small fish but it has a very nasty sting.

"It's normally not a life-threatening sting but the man began having respiratory problems."

Weever fish - normally yellow and about four inches long - come into theshallows during warmer weather.

They are normally found in the tropics but live in small numbers around theBritish coast.

A spokesman for Swansea coastguard said: "Stings are rare but are verypainful. People should get immediate medical advice."