About the town » South Shields, South Tyneside, England, Great Britain

South Shields (or locally known just as Shields) is a coastal town in Tyne and Wear, England, located at the mouth of the River Tyne to Tyne Dock, and about 4.84 miles downstream from Newcastle upon Tyne. Historically within County Durham, the town has a population of 82,854, the second largest population centre in the Tyneside conurbation after Newcastle. It is part of the metropolitan borough of South Tyneside, which includes the riverside towns of Jarrow and Hebburn and the villages of Boldon, Cleadon and Whitburn. South Shields is represented in parliament by Labour MP David Miliband. David Miliband announced on 26 March 2013 that he is stepping down as MP for South Shields thus triggering a by-election.