Strike updates: Tyne and Wear Metro closed today due to strike action

The day of strikes across the north east in pictures. www.realradionortheast.co.uk/news-sport/north-east-strikes-in-pictures/z6dkhjht/

Some pictures and audio clips from the march. www.metroradio.co.uk/news/local/North-East-Strikes/

Metro workers interviewed at South Gosforth www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15957267

So not quite as many as the first estimate but........twitter.com/#!/NorthumbriaPol/status/141863062662692864

twitter.com/#!/MetroRadioNews/status/141853850230460416

twitter.com/#!/hanifleylabi/status/141852890171060224

Tweeter Hanif Leylabi just told me he thinks it could be 10,000 people in Gateshead twitter.com/#!/hanifleylabi/status/141850443264425984

This picture shows how big the turnout is in Newcastle. lockerz.com/s/160783263

Third Sector is reporting that Newcastle City Council has pledged to transfer all the salary savings it makes from today’s strike action into its voluntary sector budget.

A spokesman for the council said it would put at least £300,000 into the Newcastle Fund, the council’s £10m four-year grant-funding programme for services run by local charities and community groups. More here: www.thirdsector.co.uk/Finance/article/1107008/newcastle-will-put-strike-savings-its-voluntary-sector-fund/

The BBC has recently updated it's live coverage for the region. Says in Newcastle, 106 out of 139 education establishments, including schools, nurseries, Sure Start and play centres, were closed. In County Durham, 235 out of the 262 schools were closed. In Northumberland, 129 of the 149 were shut, in Gateshead 71 of the 83 schools were closed, in North Tyneside 66 out of 79 and South Tyneside 64 out of 66 were closed. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-15936663

If you haven't seen it before, this is the TUC song for the strike. www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOLCSCArDRE

twitter.com/#!/NorthumbriaPol/status/141799333430427649

twitter.com/#!/TonyDowling/status/141794631447887872

twitter.com/#!/realnortheast/status/141776781500874752

Please feel free to add you Newcastle strike day updates here. What follows are some I've noticed already. twitter.com/#!/newsleader/status/141782289846775808