A 44-year-old man underwent hospital treatment for stab wounds after a teenager attacked him with a screwdriver.

Police are searching for the youngster who attacked the man on Friday night as he walked to work in Middlesbrough at around 7.25pm.

He was walking from Crossfell Road and over the railway line across the footbridge, known locally as The White Bridge, towards Belle Vue Grove.

As he reached the Belle Vue Grove side of the bridge a group of youths, aged between 14 and 17, noticed him and began to hurl abuse at him.

The man continued to walk past the group, consisting of the three boys and one girl, but they followed him until they all reached the far side of the footbridge.

At this point the eldest boy confronted the man and threatened him. The teenager then produced a screwdriver and punched the man in the face, knocking off his glasses.

He then grabbed the man by his head, placing him in a headlock and stabbing him three times in the head.

Following the attack, the teenagers walked away and the man walked to nearby James Cook University Hospital, where he was treated to three, one-and-a-half inch wounds to his head.

The youths are aged between 14 and 17, and the girl had long black hair. The boy who stabbed the man is aged between 16 and 17 and around 5ft 9 to 5ft 11ins tall.

He is of an athletic build and has dark curly hair.

He was wearing a dark coloured fleece top, blue and white tracksuit bottoms and dark trainers. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Middlesbrough CID on (01642) 303134.