FOUR people have been arrested after a woman was assaulted and a man was targeted with a shotgun in a North-East pit village.

A man went to hospital peppered with pellets following two separate incidents in South Moor, near Stanley, on Tuesday.

The first, near the South Moor Pharmacy, on Park Road, took place at around 11.30am when a couple were targeted by a group of men in a dark coloured car.

Around 15 minutes later the same couple were confronted by three men outside the South Moor Bargain shop where threats were made.

The 21-year-old woman was punched about the face while a 30-year-old man managed to seek refuge in a nearby shop.

People in the area then reported hearing what sounded like a shotgun being fired.

A short time later staff at the University Hospital of North Durham told police a 44-year-old man had attended casualty with apparent gunshot wounds to the right side of his torso.

He underwent an operation to remove pellets today and his condition was described as ‘not serious’.

Police said he will be arrested on his discharge.

A number of police operations took place on Tuesday in the Stanley area which resulted in the arrest of two men, aged 26 and 33 and two women aged 32 and 33.

A number of legitimately held shotguns were seized from one house.

Those arrested remained in custody and tonight police applied for to magistrates to extend their custody time limits.

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Winship said all the people allegedly involved in this incident are known to each other and no further arrests are expected.

He said: “This was a frightening experience for those who witnessed this incident and we need to speak to everyone who saw it or knows of it.”

The 21-year-old woman suffered cuts and bruises to her head and body in the attack but was discharged after hospital treatment.