TWO teenagers who tracked and caught a rapist have been nominated for an award in recognition of their bravery.

Johnathan Stoker and Adam Barker, who are both 16, heard the woman's screams after she escaped from the spot where she had endured an hour-long ordeal.

The teenagers from Stanley, County Durham, chased 19-year-old Martin Walsh and helped surround him until police arrived to arrest him.

Inspector Ian Proud, of Stanley police, has nominated them for a Shrievalty Award from the High Sheriff of County Durham, Sareth Nainby-Luxmoore. Insp Proud said: "They deserve recognition for doing the right thing. They were very brave and acted immediately, which was necessary under the circumstances.

"There were not fazed about by the trauma of the victim and still went ahead with no thought for their own safety."

Walsh threatened to kill the 21-year-old woman, who was out walking in woods near Stanley.

He dragged her hundreds of metres from the Sustrans footpath and repeatedly raped her. Walsh headbutted and punched her and tried to choke her but the victim managed to fight him off by hitting him with keys and kicking him in the groin.

She screamed for help and a group of nearby teenagers called police while Johnathan and Adam gave chase, with help from passers-by.

Walsh denied the attack until police confronted him with his girlfriend's evidence.

She rang him on his mobile phone during the attack and, when he inadvertently answered, he was heard shouting at his victim: 'I am going to snap your neck'.

Walsh was high on drink and drugs when he struck and had been given an 18-month community order by Consett Magistrates' Court only hours earlier for assaulting his adoptive mother.

He was jailed for life at Durham Crown Court last month.

Insp Proud said of the boys' action: "It was absolutely crucial in this investigation and saved three weeks of police investigations into a very, very serious rape.

"It is because of their actions that we had him bang to rights very shortly after the incident."