A 13-year-old boy died when a stolen car crashed 45 minutes after it was snatched, police said today.

The youngster was killed when the Vauxhall Astra, also carrying three other boys, left the road at about 6.45pm yesterday in Station Road, West Cornforth, County Durham. It crashed into a fence and overturned.

The vehicle was taken from an address in the Ferryhill area earlier the same evening, Durham Police said. The dead child came from the Ferryhill area.

One of the other boys sustained serious hand injuries and was today being treated at Middlesbrough General Hospital.

Police inquiries were today continuing to find out who was at the wheel.

More details about the incident were expected to be released later but the dead boy's family told police they did not wish to be approached at this time.