A man is in hospital after being found in a "distressed" state on the A66 with his penis cut off, reports claim.
Cleveland Police responded to a call at 4.50am on Thursday from the location in South Bank, Middlesborough.
According to the Northern Echo, doctors have placed the man in an induced coma.
It adds he has been identified as a 40-year-old man from the local area.
A Cleveland Police spokesman confirmed to HuffPost UK: “Police can confirm that the man found this morning on the A66 had wounds to his groin area.
"A 22-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault and is currently in police custody.
“Officers are continuing to investigate and are appealing for anyone with information to contact them on the non-emergency number 101.”
Roads in the surrounding area were temporarily closed off but the spokesman refused to confirm reports in the Mirror it had been done to allow officers to search for the severed appendage.