A man was taken to hospital in a critical condition following an incident that saw police cordon off a road in South Tyneside.
Emergency services were called to an incident outside Roxanne's nightclub on Ocean Road in South Shields at 3.26am on Monday morning.
Both Northumbria Police and the North East Ambulance Service attended the incident with three ambulance crews, an officer and a specialist paramedic sent to the scene.
Read more: North East news LIVE: Man in critical condition after 'incident' in South Shields
The ambulance service confirmed that two male patients were taken to South Tyneside hospital, one of which was in a critical condition.
A spokesperson for the North East Ambulance Service said: "We were called at 3.26am this morning to reports of people injured as a result of an incident outside Roxanne's nightclub on Ocean Road in South Shields.
"Police also attended the scene along with three ambulance crews, an officer and a specialist paramedic.
"Two male patients were taken to South Tyneside hospital, one of which was in a critical condition."
Coston Drive was closed in both directions due to the incident between the A183 Ocean Road and Mile End Road with buses also forced to divert.
Witnesses from the scene said police officers had cordoned off a large section of the road with forensics also attending the incident.
Northumbria Police has been approached for comment but are yet to clarify the nature of the incident.
