UP to seven men are believed to have taken part in a daylight attack on a man in County Durham which left him nursing facial injuries.

Police are appealing for witnesses after the man was assaulted by the group on Ravensworth Avenue in Bishop Auckland around 12.30pm on Sunday.

The man, who is in his early 30s, was walking along the back alley of Tivoli Place and onto Northumberland Avenue before reaching Ravensworth Avenue, where the incident happened.

"The man has been walking from his home address to his mother's down the road," said PC Jamie Pitt, of Bishop Auckland Police.

"He thinks he has possibly been followed by another male and has gone down a back alley.

"There there has been another group of males at the bottom end of the alley. He has walked into them, there has been some sort of verbal altercation and they have followed him and he has been beaten up."

Pc Pitt said descriptions of those involved were sketchy.

"The males are believed to range between the ages of 16-35 years old," he said. "One of the males is described as wearing a red tracksuit top and dark bottoms.

"As a result of the incident the victim has received a number of facial injuries."

Police have appealed for information about the incident.

Anyone who heard anything or who may have seen anything suspicious in the area at the time should contact PC 2687 Pitt on the force's non emergency number 101.