SHOPPERS can show their support for the North-East's Capital of Culture bid at the touch of a button.

For one month, people visiting the Gateshead MetroCentre can back the Newcastle Gateshead 2008 campaign on a custom-made, touch screen unit at the customer services desk, on the ground floor in the Green Mall.

The unit allows shoppers to record video messages, or just add their details to the growing list of supporters.

The team behind the move, the Newcastle Gateshead Initiative, aims to get all of the North-East to join its Back the Buzz campaign.

It follows comments from the judging panel, which has said it wants to see more evidence that the title is important to the whole region, not just Tyneside.

Karen Carr, MetroCentre marketing manager, said: "MetroCentre is firmly behind the bid to win the title.

"With over 450,000 visitors per week coming to the centre, we are ideally placed to enlist the support of the region's shoppers."

Newcastle Gateshead is on the final shortlist of six cities for the title, European Capital of Culture 2008.

The independent judging panel, led by Sir Jeremy Isaacs, is expected to make a second visit to the region in April. The judges will make a make a recommendation to the Government, which will announce the winner in June.

Winning the title is predicted to bring 17,000 jobs in tourism to the region, plus a £700m boost to the North-East economy.