South Shields is a coastal town at the mouth of the River Tyne, about 3.7 miles (6.0 km) downstream from Newcastle upon Tyne in north east England. Historically part of County Durham, it became part of Tyne and Wear in 1974. According to the 2011 census, the town had a population of 76,498, the third largest in Tyneside after Newcastle and Gateshead. It is part of the metropolitan borough of South Tyneside which includes the towns of Jarrow and Hebburn.

South Shields is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Emma Lewell-Buck. The demonym of people from South Shields is either ‘Geordie’ which is used for people from Tyneside or ‘Sandancer’ which is the less colloquial term for people from South Shields.

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