Mystery man left fighting for his life

The man, thought to be in his 30s, suffered serious head injuries and broke both his legs in the accident on the A693, near the Drum Industrial Estate, on the outskirts of Chester-le-Street, County Durham.

The accident happened at about 7.45pm on Monday when he stepped out in front of a Rover 25 car.

He was taken to the University Hospital of North Dur-ham, in Durham City, but was later transferred to Newcastle General Hospital, where his condition was yesterday described as critical.

Both the driver and passenger in the car, a 26-year-old woman from Newcastle and her 27-year-old male partner, were unhurt.

Accident investigators have so far been unable to establish the identity of the injured man, who is unable to speak to officers. He was not carrying any form of identification and there was nothing on him to suggest who he was or where he lived.

However, officers found a till receipt in his jacket for a can of lager, bought at 4pm on the day he was injured, from the Co-op, in Newgate Street, Newcastle.

Staff at the shop yesterday confirmed seeing the man and told officers he was a regular customer.

At the time he was injured, the man was wearing a dark jacket over a green cardigan, jeans and work boots. Underneath his jeans, he was wearing a pair of long johns, which police say suggests he spent a lot of time outdoors.

He was injured as he tried to cross the road to reach fields, used by locals as a shortcut to the village of Ouston.

However, a check of police records revealed that no one answering his description had been reported missing recently.

A spokesman for Durham Police said: "It may be that he lives on his own, which could explain why no one has yet come forward to report him missing."

Anyone with information about the accident, or who can shed any light on the identity of the injured man, is asked to ring Durham Constabulary's accident investigation unit on 0191-375 2159.