POLICE are hunting a man following what appears to be a serious sexual assault on a woman after she left a club.

The 22-year-old had been in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, early Monday evening, before going to Greenbank Working Man's Club in Picktree Lane at about 8.30pm, where there was a hard rock disco.

Inside, the woman met several people she knew and then left at about midnight.

Sometime between then and 1.30am she was subjected to what appears to have been a serious sexual assault.

She lost consciousness for some time and when she woke up she found herself inside a walled garden of a private house next to the Greenbank club.

The victim rang the emergency services from a nearby telephone kiosk and was taken to the University Hospital of North Durham.

Security camera footage from the club is being studied to see if it will provide any clues as to what happened to the woman on the night.

She has distinctive collar-length, straight, bleached blonde hair and on Monday night was wearing a light-coloured top and blue jeans. Detectives hope others at the club on the night will be able to provide information so they can piece together her movements.

Detective Sergeant Tony Dumighan said: "This young woman has clearly gone through a traumatic experience and we need to establish exactly what happened. I would ask anyone who may have seen her in the Greenbank club or outside afterwards to come forward and get in touch."

Detectives are also trying to trace a taxi driver who picked up a fare in Chester-le-Street market place at about midnight on Monday and drove to Stanley.

Anyone with information is asked to call 0191-388 4311 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.