A British taxi driver has been rushed to hospital, suffering from severe stomach pains, after eating three chicken wings doused in sauce made from what is thought to be the world’s hottest chilli pepper.

Mark McNeil, 36, was hoping to be able to eat 10 of the chicken wings to win a competition held by a pub in Stockton in the north-east of England.

The rules state that contestants have to eat 10 of the spicy wings in 10 minutes, and then not to drink for five minutes.

The winner of the competition, launched by The George on Stockton High Street on Tuesday, will get a full £9.95 ($19) refund.

However, no one has managed to choke down more than three of the wings.

The pepper in the sauce is the Carolina reaper chilli, which rates between 1.5 and 2.2 million on the Scoville heat unit scale. This makes it the hottest in the world.

Pub manager Craig Harker said no one who had been drinking alcohol would be allowed to do it under any circumstances, and only people who had thought seriously about undertaking the challenge should even consider it.