Fresh damage on sign for street named in memory of former Sunderland City Council leader Paul Watson

Paul Watson Way opened in 2018 and adjoins the Northern Spire Bridge on the Pallion side of the River Wear.

The street sign, however, appears to have sustained damage, leaving it twisted out of shape.

The road is named after the Labour politician Paul Watson, who was leader of the council from 2008 until his death from cancer in November 2017 aged 63. He was also a councillor for Pallion from 1997.

A section of the adjacent A1231 was named Cowies Way after the late motor magnate, Sunderland AFC chairman and Conservative Party supporter Sir Tom Cowie.

This is not the first time the Paul Watson Way sign has been damaged.

This included in September 2018 when, just days after the road opened, it was also damaged. There then appeared to be tyre marks leading up to it.

The move to name the street after Cllr Watson was not unanimously supported when it went to the vote at a council meeting in 2018, with calls for the public to have more of a say on such decisions.

The name of the Northern Spire bridge was as a result of a public ballot, with over 10,000 people voting for it ahead of two other alternatives. However, the names of the new streets leading up to the bridge were decided by the council.

Sunderland City Council said this week: “We are aware of a damaged road sign which will be replaced in due course.”