POLICE hunting quad bike thieves who targeted two dales farms found an injured man hiding in gorse bushes.

The 27-year-old suspect was arrested near Stanhope in the early hours of yesterday. He was bailed immediately so that he could be taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital for treatment to an injured foot.

He had been tracked by heat- seeking equipment on Durham Constabulary's spotter plane and traced to bushes near the old Weardale Railway line, west of Stanhope.

Abandoned 100 yards away was a £4,000 Kawasaki quad bike, which had been stolen from a farm at Westgate at about 4pm on Sunday.

Soon after midnight a farmer near Eastgate gave chase after raiders broke into outbuildings and drove off on two quad bikes. Two men were seen running off but both bikes were recovered.

Police were waiting to question the injured suspect last night.

Sergeant Kieran Reed appealed for help from people in the area at the time.

He said: "There might have been a taxi driver who was called to pick up a fare, or someone who spotted a suspicious vehicle on the road."

Anyone with information should contact Crook CID on (01388) 762011 or call at any police station.