A helicopter carrying 17 people made an emergency landing in the North Sea last night, but Dutch coastguard officials say everyone on board was rescued.

The helicopter was evacuating 13 people from a drilling platform. The evacuation was a precautionary measure following a power cut on the rig. A coastguard spokesman said the helicopter pilot had been able to make a controlled crash into the sea. The three Dutch and one English crew and the rig workers (11 Dutch and two Filipino) were uninjured although one man was suffering from slight exposure.