A MAN froze to death after a stolen car in which he was travelling crashed.

Danny McLeod missed his footing as he ran from the scene of the crash through woods and plunged to the bottom of a hidden ravine.

Clad only in a light T-shirt and jeans, the 22-year-old died of suspected hypothermia, a post mortem examination discovered.

His body was discovered by a man exercising his dogs last Sunday, 48 hours after the car crashed in Liverton Road, Liverton Mines.

Detective Inspector Colin Galloway is appealing to the public for help in piecing together the events leading to Mr McLeod's death.

He said: "Danny McLeod may have been with two friends in a car that crashed on Friday.

"All three made off and it seems Danny on his own, ran into the woods.

"His body, dressed in T-shirt and jeans was found face down in undergrowth down a steep ravine. There were no apparent injuries.''

Because of the remote and rough nature of the terrain, the Cleveland Search and Rescue team was called in to recover the body. Police are appealing for anyone who was with Mr McLeod from Friday onwards to contact Cleveland Police on (01642) 302626.

Pete Mounsey, spokesman for Cleveland Search and Rescue, said: "It was a wooded area, down a hill. It was a remote area and it took us half an hour to evacuate the deceased.

"We used our normal mountain rescue stretcher, which was carried by eight people. It was not a difficult job."

He said the nearest houses were half a mile from where the body was found.

The car crashed sometime after 4pm last Friday and had been reported to Cleveland Police as stolen.

An inquest was opened and adjourned into the death of Mr McLeod.

Evidence of identification was given by his mother, Ingrid Caroline McLeod, 38, of Cliff Crescent, Loftus.

* Two men, aged 21 and 22 years from Liverton have been charged with aggravated vehicle taking and appeared before local magistrates yesterday.