A North-East daily has won its campaign to save a slice of its region’s seafaring history.

The Shields Gazette has successfully fought-off plans to close the Mission to Seafarers in South Shields, which for decades has provided a place of relaxation, worship and advice for seamen of all nationalities visiting the Tyne.

The mission’s national bosses wanted to shut down the dilapidated building, which houses an ornamental chapel, containing memorial plaques and artefacts bequeathed by former seafarers, and lay off three workers.

But they withdrew the plan after the Gazette launched a campaign called Rescue Mission which garnered a 7,000-signature petition from local people opposing the closure.

The campaign, supported by Foreign Secretary and South Shields MP David Miliband, Jarrow MP Stephen Hepburn and local political leaders, also asked businesses and tradesmen to help carry out repairs to the mission building.

Stories featuring support for the Mission were published every day along with the petition, which was also distributed to newspaper sellers for readers to sign as they bought their evening’s paper. An online petition was displayed on the paper’s website.

The signatures were presented to representatives from the London office by Gazette editor John Szymanski on 19 August when a meeting with local officials to decide the future of the Mission was held.

And the weight of public opinion convinced national bosses to give the Mission a one-year reprieve, extending the lease of the building and launching a task force to help revamp it

Said John: “We – and, I am sure, the thousands of South Tynesiders who signed our petition – are delighted about this decision.

“The overwhelming support for the Mission to Seafarers clearly shows the depth of feeling among many people who demanded that it should stay open.

“I am glad their voices were listened to, and that the historical and emotional ties which this building has within this borough will remain.”

The Rev Peter Stannard, new chaplain designate of the mission, admitted that the thousands of people opposing the closure played a major part in forcing a reprieve.