More than £5,000 has been raised to help restore the Dunston Staiths after a suspected arson attack.
A blaze which broke out in the early hours of the morning destroyed the walkway of the iconic wooden structure.
The Staiths, which are Grade-II listed, are a unique part of the North East's industrial heritage and thought to be one of the largest structures of its kind in the world.
First opened in the 1890s, it was used to load vast quantities of coal mined around the region on to ships to be transported around the world.
It was restored at a cost of £800,000 between 2014 and 2015 by the Tyne and Wear Building Preservation Trust.
Several fires have damaged the structure over the years, including another suspected arson attack last February.
Initial estimates suggest the May 16 blaze caused around £300,000 worth of damage.
Now the 'Friends of the Staiths' volunteer group are trying to raise £25,000 to kickstart the rebuilding effort. You can contribute here.
Yesterday, detective inspector Andy Gimza of Northumbria Police said: “This incident sadly comes after months of fundraising to restore the structure following a fire in 2019.
"At present, we’re treating this as a deliberate act of vandalism, so a criminal investigation has been launched."
Anyone with information is asked by Northumbria Police to visit the ‘Report an Incident’ section of their website, quoting reference number 107 160520 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
