Four young men have been praised by the police after helping arrest a violent suspected drunk driver.

The incident took place on June 29 when the young lads from Northallerton tried to stop a suspected drunk woman from driving away from a pub.

The woman got away in her car and the four men followed at a safe distance and called the police to keep them up to date with where she was.

Her vehicle was swerving around the road, clipping kerbs and narrowly missed hitting other drivers.

She eventually stopped in Leeming Bar and the young men tried to take away her keys to prevent her driving off again.

The driver tried to drive off again as they leaned through her window trying to turn off the ignition. 

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police praised their efforts to "protect members of the public".

The four, two aged 16, one aged 17 and a 22-year-old, managed to get the woman out of the car and detain her while waiting for the police.

During the incident all four of them were violently assaulted and sustained minor injuries as the driver attempted to get away. A police officer was also bitten on his leg during the arrest.

The driver was arrested and taken to custody, thanks to the bravery and bold actions of the four young men.

PC Jack Holliday said: "The four displayed enormous discipline, sense of service, and selfless commitment.

"On behalf of North Yorkshire Police, we would like the express our thanks. Teenagers and young people often get a bad reputation in communities, and these individuals will be the first to tell you they are no angels. On this occasion, they placed themselves in harm’s way to protect others.

"Well done, excellent work, they should be proud of themselves."

The woman has since been charged with failing to provide a specimen for analysis and assaulting an emergency worker. She is due to appear at York Magistrates’ Court on August 8.

She remains under investigation for a number of other offences including four counts of assault and one sexual assault.