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 Mick, 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 Middesbrough General Hospital as a result of the serious head injuries which had caused him to collapse.

Shortly after midnight on Saturday morning, 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 on the junction of Milbank Road and Woodland Road and taken back to hospital at about 3.45am.

Following a "disappointing" early response from the public, Darlington police have renewed their appeal for help to find 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 phone was a Motorola Talkabout, while the bracelet was in two-tone gold and the gold neck chain featured a cross with a loop at the top.

DC Curtis said he was certain someone knew the whereabouts of the items and urged them to get in touch 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 may have noticed him. He was wearing a white shirt and light coloured casual trousers.

Anybody with information is urged to contact Darlington police on (01325) 467681 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.