Horse put down after being hit by car

A horse had to be put to sleep after it was hit by a car on a country road in the early hours of the morning.

Police were called at about 05:00 BST to Fondleyset Lane, near Dipton in County Durham, following reports of a crash.

A local vet attended the scene and a decision was taken to euthanise the horse.

The animal had suffered "significant injuries", Durham Police said.

Follow BBC North East on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].