Magical snowy scenes at Sunderland and South Shields coast

The coastal strip from South Shields to Sunderland was turned into a winter wonderland.

Meanwhile, the Met Office is warning worse weather is on its way with amber warnings for snow in place for today, tomorrow and Thursday.

Drivers have been warned to avoid the A19 in Sunderland and South Tyneside due to conditions, and there have been a number of incidents throughout the region which have caused a headache for commuters.

However, major routes remain open, and train and Metro services are running as normal.