Gateshead's Dunston Staithes to be restored

A Grade II listed timber structure on the River Tyne is to be restored.

The Dunston Staithes in Gateshead played a crucial role in the transport of millions of tons of coal.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded almost £420,000 to restore the landmark and open it up to the public for the first time.

The wooden staithes was closed in 1980 and abandoned with the demise of the coal industry and have since fallen victim to vandalism and two fires.

The 130-year-old staithes was built by the North Eastern Railway at a cost of £210,000 and is thought to be the largest timber structure in Britain.

Martin Hulse, from the Tyne and Wear Building Preservation Trust, said the staithes are "an iconic symbol of the region's industrial heritage".