BEER drinkers will bid a fond farewell to the home of the North-East's world-famous Newcastle Brown Ale on nostalgic brewery tours this week.

Scottish and Newcastle (S&N) Breweries is opening the Tyne Brewery, at Gallowgate, Newcastle, to give the public a final look around the site before it closes next month.

Production of Newcastle Brown Ale and other S&N beers is being moved across the River Tyne to the former Federation Brewery's Dunston brewery, next to the MetroCentre.

S&N announced the closure last year, with the loss of 180 jobs at both sites, following its takeover of the Federation Brewery, to form Newcastle Federation Breweries.

It led to questions about the validity of the Newcastle Brown Ale name, but an S&N spokesman said the beer had "protected geographic indicator" status to enable the title to be retained.

The brand also has trademark protection across the world to prevent any would-be imposter being sold in any country.

Brown Ale production transfers to Dunston in late May, but before the Gallowgate brewery winds down, the public is being offered a chance to see it in full working order.

Places on all nine tours are fully booked.

Meanwhile, Newcastle City Council has acquired 5.2 acres of the 20-acre Gallowgate site to develop into family and student housing, and offices and shops.

The brewery spokesman said: "As we make our final preparations to transfer brewing across to our new site at Dunston, it is vitally important that we work with the council to secure a long-term and sustainable use for this landmark site in the centre of the city.

"The sale of part of the site to the city council represents the first stage of the process, and we are in ongoing discussions to agree a development brief for the remaining parts.

"This is good news for the future of Newcastle and, indeed, the wider North-East."

Work will begin once the brewery has vacated the site, by summer next year.