The 67-year-old actor, famous for playing starship captain Jean-Luc Picard in the sci-fi drama Star Trek: The Next Generation, will give the annual talk at an undisclosed location in the borough in November.

It is understood Stewart, also one of the stars of the X-Men movies, agreed to the lecture several months ago, and his attendance has now been confirmed by the office of South Shields MP David Miliband.

The South Shields Lecture was created by Mr Miliband after he became MP for the town in 2001.

Mr Miliband said: "I'm delighted Patrick has accepted my invitation to the South Shields Lecture.

"I know the residents of South Shields will really be looking forward to his appearance in the town."

Born in 1940 in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, Stewart shot to international fame in Star Trek: The Next Generation, becoming a household name thanks to catchphrases including "make it so".

He is also well known to sci-fi fans for playing Charles Xavier in the three X-Men films.

He has also won plaudits for his stage career, including several major Shakespearean roles.

The prestigious South Shields Lecture was created to bring top-drawer speakers to the town, and it has had several high-profile guests over the years.

Last year, former Prime Minister Tony Blair spoke at the Customs House, and afterwards he gave his first interview since leaving office to the Gazette.

Previous speakers have included Neil Kinnock, David Puttnam and Ken Livingstone.