Drinkers can earn themselves some free beer by entering into a little bit of monkey business during lockdown.

A five-foot toy primate is proving such a hit with customers at a new South Shields brewery, bottle shop and tap room that it is to have a new ale brewed in its honour.

Now One More Than Two Brew, in the town’s Portberry Street, has launched a competition for people to come up with a suitable name for the monkey.

Brewery owner Chris Donovan, 35, explained: “The monkey has proved a star with customers posing for pictures with it while having a pint.

A monkey mascot in need of a name is pictured at 1 More than 2 Brew, in Portrberry Street, South Shieds, with bar manager Glen Towers.

placeholder image — A monkey mascot in need of a name is pictured at 1 More than 2 Brew, in Portrberry Street, South Shieds, with bar manager Glen Towers.

"So we thought we would have a bit of fun in these stressful times by having a competition to name it."

The 4.4pc Indian Pale Ale (IPA) itself already has a name in keeping with the brewery’s taste for lengthy titles – You Don’t Walk Past A £10 Monkey And Not Buy It.

Chris, whose other beers include I Am A Brewer But If Mummy Asks I Am A Pianist In A Brothel, added: “I was in Asda once, saw the price on the monkey had come down from £40 to £10 and thought you do not walk past a £10 monkey and not buy it.

"So I bought it for the daughter, she loved it for about five minutes as children do and since then it has been kept under the bed and all over the house.

South Shields micro brewery and tap room owner Chris Donovan wants people to come up with a name for the brewery's monkey.

"Then when it fell on me when I got the ironing board out I thought I had to do something with it.”

The winner will get to name and brew their own beer and receive a free cask.

One More Than Two Brew, whose bottle shop is still open for click and collect orders and walk-in customers, is also this week launching a new delivery service.

Free deliveries will be made across South Tyneside and parts of Sunderland and Washington on Mondays and Fridays between 5pm-7pm for all orders placed before 4pm on both days.

The postcodes covered for now are NE8, NE9, NE10, NE31, NE32, NE33, NE34, NE35, NE36, NE37, SR5, SR6, DH3 2 and DH3 1 with further information available at www.1morethan2brew.com.

Competition entries can be left on the brewery’s Facebook page.