POLICE have appealed for witnesses after a second road death in County Durham over the weekend.

Durham Police named the dead man as Darren Wake, aged 43, from Wheatley Hill in the east of the county.

He was hit by a minibus on the A181 between Durham and Wheatley Hill, in the early hours today.

Inspector Malcolm Smart said the minibus, driven by a man from Peterlee, was carrying passengers home, travelling eastwards on the A181, when the accident took place around 50-metres south-east of the Byers Garth roundabout, near Sherburn Village.

"It collided with-the male pedestrian who had stepped onto the carriageway from the nearside into the path of the minibus."

Insp Smart said Mr Wake was pronounced dead at the scene.

The road was closed for approximately four hours after the accident while investigations took place.

Anyone who saw the accident, shortly after 1.15am, is asked to ring the force accident unit, on 0191-375 2159.

It took place only hours after a 16-year-old rider was killed when he was thrown from his moped onto a lamp post off Front Street, Hutton Henry, also in the east of the county, shortly after 6.30pm on Saturday.