A WORKER carrying out maintenance on a water slide at Wet n' Wild had to be rescued by fire fighters today after he slipped and banged his head.

The 22-year-old was prevented from falling down the slide at the North Shields water park by a safety device, and was trapped 40 metres up.

Fire crews were called at 11.40am and removed him from the slide. They carried him down 11 flights of stairs, before he was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead by ambulance suffering from suspected spinal injuries.

He was later discharged from hospital.