A 33-year-old man has died after the van he was driving was in a collision with a minibus.

William Peel, from Darlington, was driving a VW Caddy van on the A167 in Beaumont Hill, in Darlington, when he hit a Ford Transit minibus travelling in the opposite direction at about 11.50pm last night (Saturday).

A police spokesman said the Caddy veered into the opposite lane and hit the minibus head on.

Mr Peel suffered fatal injuries while the driver of the minibus, a 38-year-old man from Middlesbrough, was taken to hospital suffering from minor injuries and shock.

The road was closed for five hours while medical treatment was carried out and for crash investigators to examine the scene.

Witnesses to the collision are asked to call the Durham Police accident investigation unit on 0191-375-2159.