THE family of a teenager who was injured when he was hit by a train is raising money to buy him prosthetic limbs.

Ben Woods, 17, of Hurworth, near Darlington, lost his right arm and left leg in the accident, on the East Coast main line in July. He had been walking on the tracks and stepped into the path of an oncoming GNER express.

The youngster was treated at Middlesbrough General Hospital and discharged on Saturday after ten weeks.

Ben's family and friends are now raising funds to pay for the prosthetic limbs.

He has been issued with standard NHS replacement limbs but his family are hoping they can raise enough funds to buy him more advanced versions.

Villagers in Hurworth have been touched by the teenager's plight and have organised a series of fundraising events.

The manager of the Station Hotel in the village, Paul Nixon, organised a pool competition on Sunday night, which was attended by Ben's father, Paul Woods.

Mr Woods, 42, of Banks Terrace, said: "We are absolutely over the moon about what people are doing.

"It is so nice. I went down to the pub last week and discovered that an old friend of mine, who I have not seen in years, had started the scheme off and had given £100.

But he said: "We do not really want to say how much we want to raise in case we do not get it.

" I do not want to be seen as disappointed, as that would never be the case."

Mr Nixon has organised a number of fundraising events at the pub.

He said: "We decided to do this because Ben's dad, Paul, drinks in the pub and everyone wanted to help out. People who know the family are interested in knowing how Ben is doing. We are hoping to raise as much money as we can."

Ben, a pupil at Darlington's Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, will continue his studies at home until he is well enough to return to school.

Last month, he passed AS levels in English literature, sociology, law and general studies.