A date has been set for an appeal hearing a dead man's family hope will lead to a longer prison term for his killer.

Alfred Welch was jailed for three years by Teesside Crown Court in July last year, after admitting manslaughter.

His victim, father-of-two Paul Simpson, 33, died after being punched in a street attack. He fell, hitting his head on the kerb.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), together with Durham Police, have been granted leave to appeal by the Attorney General and the hearing will take place at the Court of Appeal on January 31.

Mr Simpson's family felt the sentence was too lenient, and the CPS and police agreed, and referred it to the Attorney General for a decision.

The maximum sentence for manslaughter is life imprisonment, but Welch could be released in October this year.

Welch, of Harris Street, Darlington, had been cruising the streets of Darlington as the passenger in a vehicle, calling passers-by over so he could punch them as part of a sick drunken "game", the crown court heard.

Mr Simpson, of Askrigg Street, was one of his victims in the random attacks last March.