One of the country's most influential union bosses has thrown his weight behind Jamie Driscoll's bid to become North East mayor.
The general secretary of the RMT, Mick Lynch, was in Sunderland at the launch of Mr Driscoll's campaign to be selected as the Labour candidate for the mayoral election next May.
Mr Lynch, who shot to fame following a series of media appearances throughout his union's ongoing industrial dispute, was among several key union figures to back the current North of Tyne Mayor.
