POLICE are investigating an attack in a North-East shopping centre which left a man semi-conscious.

Officers were called to the Cornmill Centre, in Darlington, just after 2.15pm on Monday after reports of two men beating up another outside Ottakar's bookstore.

PC Mick Woolston, of Darlington police, said the 21-year-old victim was assaulted twice by the pair.

He was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital, though the extent of his injuries were not known last night.

"For whatever reason, they assaulted him initially outside Topshop. This was a minor assault where he's not really sustained any injury.

"About ten minutes later he has been near Ottakar's and they have subjected him to another assault, to the point where he was semi-conscious."

Security staff caught one of the men, but the other got away. A man was arrested on suspicion of assault and later released him on bail.