A man was missing today after three men fleeing from police stole a dinghy and collided with a Royal Naval Reserve training boat, police said.

Northumbria Police said three men jumped into the dinghy yesterday evening after reports of trouble in a riverside pub near the new "Blinking Eye" Millennium Bridge on the River Tyne.

The dinghy capsized after colliding with a boat carrying a party of naval cadets on exercises from the nearby Naval Reserve vessel HMS Calliope.

None of the naval youngsters were injured in the incident.

Two of the men were rescued and taken, under police escort, to hospital, but a third man was today still missing despite a large-scale rescue operation.

From 8.20pm last night Northumbria Police and the force marine unit, as well as Coastguards, Tyne and Wear Fire Brigade and North East Ambulance Service searched for the missing man in a stretch of the River Tyne between the Gateshead Millennium Bridge and the Tyne Bridge.

The search was resuming this morning.

A Northumbria Police spokeswoman said: "Officers were called to reports of trouble at a quayside bar and the men ran out and jumped into a boat moored on the river.

"The boat travelled a short distance before colliding with a cadet boat from HMS Calliope.

"All three men ended up in the River Tyne and despite two being rescued one is still missing.

"The search for the missing man will resume this morning."

Updated : 15:13, Friday 10th Aug.