A MAN was so brutally beaten that he will need extensive plastic surgery on his face, police said last night.

The unnamed 36-year-old suffered multiple fractures to his face and was still unconscious in intensive care last night after being kicked and punched.

Police said he woke briefly, but was heavily sedated because of the extent of his injuries.

It is believed the man, from the North Road area of Darlington, could have been the victim of an unprovoked attack.

Two men, aged 31 and 36, have been arrested and were being questioned last night, while Darlington police appealed for more witnesses.

The man was attacked opposite Morrisons supermarket, on North Road, at about 5.40pm on Tuesday. Nearby Katherine Street was cordoned off by police.

Detective Inspector Paul Harker said: "A nasty, violent and sustained assault has caused these injuries. His face is a mess and he is going to need reconstructive surgery."

The man is at Darlington Memorial Hospital but will be transferred to the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

In an unrelated incident, early yesterday, a Darlington taxi driver had his face slashed with a knife.

Roy McArther, a cabbie of more than 30 years, was attacked by a youth he had driven from Darlington to Catterick, in North Yorkshire, at about 12.30am.

The offender demanded money before running off empty-handed.

Mr McArther, 54, drove to Darlington Memorial Hospital for treatment.

Yesterday he was transferred to James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, where he underwent surgery.

Mr McArther works for 1AB taxis, in Darlington, and yesterday he was described as "an absolutely lovely guy".

Mr McArther had picked up the youth from Darlington Railway Museum. A mile outside Catterick village, near Catterick Racecourse, the youth slashed the driver across the face.

The offender is described as white, about 5ft 6in and in his late teens.

He had black hair and was wearing a dark tracksuit and black woolly gloves.

The two incidents follow three violent attacks in Darlington last month - Stephen Humphries, 53, was beaten to death behind the Nags Head pub; Kevin Puttuck, 42, was attacked as he slept in a house in Greenbank Road; and Paul Davies, 34, was stabbed in the neck in Grange Road.

Det Insp Harker reassured the public that Darlington was not becoming more violent.

He said: "People shouldn't worry about this. It is not more violent than it was six months ago, it is just unfortunate these incidents have happened within a short time."

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 0845 60 60 365.