And the Gazette can today reveal that the Dunes amusement arcade in South Shields will be turned into a pirate paradise after its £2m revamp.

Plans to extend the arcade were first unveiled in August last year, after planning permission was granted.

Work has now started, and the amusement arcade will be rebranded as Dunes Adventure Island.

Bosses hope the development, which is creating 45 jobs, will be open in September.

Kenneth Reader, managing director of KW Reader and Sons, worked on the proposal for two years with South Tyneside Council.

He said: "It is a massive indoor facility. It brings together a family entertainment centre which will be more than 40,000sq ft of indoor area."

Dunes Adventure Island will include two function rooms with views over the mouth of the Tyne, a giant galleon-style indoor play area and The Hub, a coffee shop which will become a pizzeria at night.

There will also be an outdoor lagoon area, where people can eat and drink next to a stunning three-storey waterfall and a tropical garden.

The Brig bar and kitchen will offer home-cooked meals in a galleon setting, complete with wooden barrel booths.

Newcastle-based Fluid Design Solutions created the ambitious new look.

Managing director Dave King said: "It has been a while since we have had the opportunity to work on a themed project.

"This was something that gave us a new creative challenge, and was something we couldn't wait to get our teeth into.

"The purpose and scale of this project is quite different to what we have worked on in the past.

"It is aimed at a completely different audience to that of the bars and restaurants that we usually design.

"I think it will be a huge success, and I can't wait to see the finished project!"