A DRIVER was taken to hospital after his car struck a traffic sign in Durham on Thursday evening.

The accident happened on the A691 Framwelgate Peth in Durham City, between the Milburngate roundabout and the Garden House pub and led to the road being closed into the early hours of Friday.

The road reopened at around 2am although Durham Police said it would require partial closure on Friday morning for repairs.

The man's injuries are not life-threatening, police said, but he was taken to James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough for treatment.

Police left the scene in the hands of the council and at 1am the road was still closed and was likely to remain so for some time as there was concern over the safety of the sign, which is used to relay car parking information.

"The council still has the road closed because the electronic sign needs repair, which may not be possible until the morning," said a spokesman for Durham Constabulary.

"Because that has some extensive damage, there is a danger it could fall into the road. Even though officers have cleared the scene and it's no longer a police incident, the council has kept it closed as a precaution."