Nine tonnes of bird muck removed from Tyne Bridge

The Tyne Bridge is being restored as part of a £42m scheme

Nine tonnes of bird poo have been removed from the Tyne Bridge in the early stages of its restoration.

Newcastle City Council says workers have cleaned out a huge mass of avian muck from the deck of the famous bridge.

The weight of the excrement removed has been worked out as the equivalent of three Land Rover Defenders.

It is hoped the revamp of the Grade II* listed crossing will be completed in 2028 when the bridge reaches its centenary.

Workers are now repairing steelwork within the 12 floors of scaffolding erected around the southern end of the bridge, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Once cleared of rust, the structure is due to be returned to its traditional green colour.

The current Tyne Bridge took almost three years to build, with construction starting in 1925 and finishing in 1928

The bridge will be fully shut overnight, between 20:00 BST and 06:00, from 1 to 4 and 8 to 11 July to allow the Great North Run sign to be installed.

It will also be fully closed between 08:30 and 13:00 on Sunday, 7 July for the Great North 10k race.

Restoring the Tyne Bridge, along with wider work to the Central Motorway, is expected to cost almost £42m.