A TEENAGER was admitted to intensive care at a North-East hospital amid fears that he could die because of the amount of alcohol he had drunk.

Staff at Darlington's Memorial Hospital alerted police to the plight of a 19-year-old man, who was found to be the equivalent of nearly five times over the legal drink-drive limit.

Police believe he had been drinking half-pints of spirits to celebrate his birthday, in the Tubwell Row area of the town.

Inspector Sue Collingwood, of Darlington Police, said: "The hospital notified us because they thought he was going to die."

The teenager was unconscious when brought into hospital in the early hours of Saturday morning, but is understood to have recovered well enough to be released late yesterday.