DETECTIVES hope this picture will help in their hunt for thieves who robbed a man as he lay dying in the street.

John Clayton, known as Mike, collapsed in Darlington in the early hours of the morning after a Friday night out and was powerless to act as his bracelet, neck chain and mobile phone were taken.

He died three days later in Middlesbrough General Hospital as a result of serious head injuries which had caused him to collapse.

Shortly after midnight on Saturday, August 3, 45-year-old Mr Clayton was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital after falling over in Skinnergate and hitting his head.

However, the father-of-three walked out of the hospital at about 2am and was found collapsed at the junction of Milbank Road and Woodland Road, and taken back to hospital at about 3.45am.

After a disappointing early response from the public, Darlington police have renewed their appeal for help to find out who robbed Mr Clayton, of Edmund Street, Darlington.

Detective Sergeant Phil Curtis said: "There is nothing to suggest that Mr Clayton was assaulted and robbed, and the circumstances of his death are not being treated as suspicious.

"We believe he sustained the injury to his head as a result of his fall in Skinnergate and his condition greatly deteriorated over the following few hours.

"An opportunistic thief has callously taken the property from Mr Clayton without any consideration for his welfare as he lay unconscious on the pavement in Milbank Road, and was unable to stop them."

The stolen phone was a Motorola Talkabout model. The bracelet was in two-tone gold and the gold neck chain featured a cross with a loop at the top.

Det Sgt Curtis said he was certain someone knew the whereabouts of the items and urged them to get in touch with police so they could be returned to Mr Clayton's family.

He said the area where Mr Clayton walked after leaving the hospital would have been busy and people might have noticed him.

He was wearing a white shirt and light trousers.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Darlington police on (01325) 467681, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

An inquest into Mr Clayton's death will be opened tomorrow in Darlington.