Referee Dieter Schmidt has died from injury wounds to his neck after getting hit by a javelin at an athletics meeting in Germany.

The 75-year-old had gone to check the markings of an athlete's throw when the next javelin speared him through the throat.

Dusseldorf fire department spokesman Michael Sandforth told The Local: "He was bleeding very badly and lost a lot of blood. Our emergency doctor administered first aid and then he was taken to hospital.

"There was a helicopter at the scene but the doctor made the decision that there was an urgent need to bring him back round so he was taken nearby to the university clinic in the emergency doctor's vehicle."

Seven spectators, who were among a crowd of around 800 people, and a teenage javelin thrower were given counselling after witnessing the incident.