A DIVER was airlifted to doctors for treatment when he suffered pains following a dive west of Portland Bill.

A Portland Coastguard spokesman said the diver had made a safe return to the surface at the correct speed but reported pains in his elbow – a possible sign of decompression sickness.

The coastguard helicopter Rescue 106 transported the 42-year-old man from the dive boat Scimitar to a landing site at Poole just after 2pm on Tuesday.

A dive doctor confirmed decompression sickness was the cause of his pain and the coastguard spokesman said the man was safe and well after a spell in the recompression chamber at Poole Hospital.

The diver was visiting with a dive club from Exeter.