POLICE have released a description of a man they are trying to trace after an attempted burglary.

Night staff at commercial premises in West Auckland Road, in Darlington, disturbed a man breaking into an outbuilding at 1.20am on Tuesday.

The man made off along a back alleyway and on to West Auckland Road, near the former Brown Trout pub.

Officers attended the scene but were unable to trace the suspect.

He is described as being white, 6ft tall and of slim to medium build.

He was wearing a deer-stalker style hat, a black tracksuit top with grey sleeves and light grey jogging bottoms.

A police spokeswoman said staff from other commercial premises in the same area returned to work after the bank holiday weekend to find that outbuildings at their premises were also targeted.

Police would like to trace anyone who was out in the area at in the early hours of Tuesday who may have seen anything suspicious or saw anyone matching the above description.