JCB 'driven into' seven newly built council homes

A JCB has been driven into seven new council homes, police have said.

The properties on Hurworth Moor, just off Neasham Road in Darlington, were unoccupied when they were damaged on Sunday.

Durham Police said it found the JCB nearby when officers attended the scene at about 20:50 BST, after reports a man was driving the vehicle into the new-builds.

Councillor Matthew Roche said he was "devastated" the social housing had been damaged when it was so vital.

He said: "The Neasham Road site is part of our ambitious programme to build hundreds of much-needed social homes and it's disappointing, to say the least, that this has happened.

"It will delay the completion of much needed good-quality council homes and is a blow to the dedicated council team that is building such excellent houses.

"The council is working closely with police as they investigate."

The force has appealed for information.

Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.