A busy dual carriageway had to be closed by police searching for the severed penis of a man who had been found severely injured.

The 40-year-old was discovered in a distressed way on the A66 in Middlesbrough at 4.50am on Thursday morning. Officers were called to the scene and found the man with "wounds to his groin area". He was then taken to hospital.

A section of the road was closed off as it is believed officers were searching for his missing penis. Cleveland Police said a 22-year-old had been arrested on suspicion of assault and was later released on police bail.

The injured man is in an induced coma in hospital, police said. The road closure has since been lifted.

It was unclear whether police have found the missing penis. Detectives were trying to clarify exactly how the man came to sustain the injuries.