Village shooting was 'targeted' attack

The gun was fired outside an address in Grice Court in Staindrop

A gun was fired at a house in a quiet village in what police believe was a targeted attack.

Durham Constabulary said a vehicle pulled up outside an address in Grice Court, Staindrop, and a firearm was discharged towards the property at about 21:20 GMT on Friday.

No-one was injured, although the householder was at home at the time, police said.

Detectives said they had carried out house-to-house inquiries and a police cordon was still in place on Tuesday while forensic examinations continued.

A spokesman for Durham Constabulary said they were "confident" it was a targeted attack and that there was no intention to cause harm to the wider public.

“Firearms incidents are very rare in County Durham and we will make every possible effort to find those responsible for this attack and bring them before court," the spokesman said.

Anyone with information of dashcam footage from the area has been asked to contact police.