North Tyneside is a metropolitan borough in the North East of England, part of the Tyne and Wear urban area centred on Newcastle and formerly part of Northumberland.
It is the area east of Newcastle, and north of the River Tyne. Wards include North Shields, Howdon , and Whitley Bay.
Unlike most English districts, its council is led by a directly-elected mayor, currently Linda Arkley.
The borough was formed on April 1, 1974 by the merger of the county borough of Tynemouth, with the borough of Wallsend, part of the borough of Whitley Bay, the urban district of Longbenton and part of the urban district of Seaton Valley .
