DETECTIVES hunting for the man who brutally beat a teenager and left him fighting for his life appealed to a suspect to surrender himself - by sending text messages to his mobile phone.

Detective Sergeant Tony Green said he used "good old fashioned detective work" to discover the mobile telephone number of the 17-year-old wanted for questioning about the attack.

The beating left 17-year-old David Young brain damaged and on a life support machine.

Det Sgt Green revealed he spoke to the unnamed teenager on his mobile, following the beating in Hartlepool, when he failed to keep a rendezvous.

The detective then hit on the idea of sending him messages.

He said: "The gist of my messages were: You can't hide for ever, give yourself up.

"It was a method of putting a little bit more pressure, trying to make him see sense. This was a method of communicating with him."

Eventually, police discovered their suspect at an address in Hartlepool and arrested him yesterday. Last night, he was still being questioned by officers.

Meanwhile, parents John and Tracy Young continued their bedside vigil next to the Middlesbrough General Hospital life support machine keeping their son David alive.

A heartbroken Mrs Young, of Raby Road, Hartlepool, sobbed: "He is being kept heavily sedated because of the head injuries. There is a swelling to the brain."

David was found by a passerby, lying unconscious in the Queens Parade, near the Victoria Square entrance to the Middleton Grange Shopping Centre, in the early hours of Saturday.

Police are investigating a theory the assault was a continuation of a dispute which broke out in The Wesley nightclub at Hartlepool, and spilled out into the street.

Witnesses are urged to contact Hartlepool CID on (01642) 302133. Police are particularly keen to trace a group of people seen walking up Victoria Road towards the Corner House at about the time the incident took place.