POLICE have taken steps to reassure the public after armed police and sniffer dogs were seen outside Darlington Memorial Hospital this afternoon.

Alarmed patients and members of the public were shocked to see four police cars arrive outside the main entrance of the hospital at around 2pm this afternoon.

But a spokesperson for Durham Constabulary told The Northern Echo police were carrying out a prison escort and urged the public not to be alarmed.

Witnesses described seeing three patrol cars, one van, four armed police officers and a dog handler, who was looking after a German Shepherd and a black Labrador.

One patient visiting the hospital said: "I didn't know what was going on - we just saw police with guns come into the hospital - it was really quite alarming.

Another visitor said: "I turned up at A&E with my dad, who'd had a fall, and there was a siezable police presence.

"A team of fully armed police officers isn't an every day sight in Darlington."