FOUR men were arrested by Darlington police after a man was attacked and left lying unconscious in an alleyway.

The local man, who is in his twenties but has not been named, was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital at 9.40am on Saturday with injuries to his face.

He was found by a resident in a back alleyway running next to Aldam Street and Katherine Street, off North Road.

The man's injuries were believed at first to be life-threatening, but he later recovered consciousness and was released from hospital yesterday after being kept in overnight for observation.

Officers cordoned off the alleyway to carry out a forensic search and conducted house-to-house inquiries in the area. Police were able to speak to the victim last night.

Inspector Sue Collingwood, of Darlington Police, said: "We are obviously looking at an assault of some description but until we get a full account from the injured party it is difficult to say what happened.

"If there were people in the area who were passing, we want to hear from them."

Insp Collingwood said it was not clear how long the man had been lying in the alleyway before he was found.

The four men arrested in connection with the assault are all in their twenties and from the Darlington area.

One of the men was released without charge yesterday afternoon, while the other three were still being questioned last night.