COMMUTERS, football fans and concert-goers face severe disruption today following the start of a strike on the Tyne and Wear Metro.

Trains stopped running last night as a 24-hour strike by members of the RMT and Amicus unions began at 7pm.

The strike is expected to cause rush-hour misery as commuters use cars or try to find buses for their journeys.

Although the strike ends at 7pm tonight, it will also cause disruption for Newcastle United fans heading to St James' Park for the Premiership clash with Fulham, at 8pm.

Rock fans heading for a concert by Meatloaf at the city's Metro Radio Arena will also have to re-think travel plans.

Services are not expected to get back to normal until tomorrow morning.

Bus operator Go North-East is aiming to cater for extra passengers by running double instead of single-deckers.

The strike is expected to lead to congestion on the roads, particularly in and around Newcastle, and travellers are being urged to plan their journeys and allow extra time.

A Newcastle City Council spokesman said: "Commuters using their cars should try, wherever possible, to arrange to car-share to cut the number of additional cars on the road.''

A spokesman for Metro operator Nexus said conditions on the city's roads could be "pretty impossible''.

He said: "We are bitterly disappointed this strike is taking place. It is a cynical move by the unions to maximise disruption.''

Unions called the strike as part of a wrangle with Nexus over proposals for a shorter working week.

Stan Herschel, of the RMT, said the timing was deliberate.

"We have to go for maximum impact to make the management realise how serious we are," he said.

* Travel information is available from Traveline on 0870 608 2608 or by visiting www.nexus.org.uk