Newcastle’s famous Shields Road has had some bad press in recent days.
A new study found the Byker high street the worst high street in Britain, coming last in a list of 1,000 retail locations.
It was based on factors including the number of vacant units, bookies, payday lenders and pawnbrokers.
The finding come in the 2019 Retail Vitality Rankings, published by retail consultancy Harper Dennis Hobbs.
The area has 19% of its shops shut – over double the average – while the winner Cambridge has just 5.7%.
It was found nearby shopping centres had affected Shields Road.
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Newcastle city council said it is working with retailers and community leaders to boost retail in Byker. It added: “It’s a well-used high street in a busy part of the city, providing vital amenities for our residents.”
For anyone who remembers Shields Road as it was in the last century, our picture video recalls some of the stores, pubs and cinemas that once stood on the busy Newcastle East End thoroughfare.
