A NORTH-EAST man now living in the US has started a campaign to restore a webcam at one of the region’s most famous landmarks.

Guy Bailey is calling for a webcam which previously broadcast live images of Middlesbrough’s Transporter Bridge to be reinstated.

The webcam stream, operated by BBC Tees, has not been updated since May last year.

Mr Bailey, 39, said: “For a region trying to show off its best side, both at home and abroad, this just will not do.

“The Transporter is Teesside ’s trademark. It’s unique – a beautiful industrial symbol of our proud past and future.

“Checking in on the webcam, 24/7 for Teessiders all over the world is like checking in with your friends and family – a quick homesickness vaccine.”

Mr Bailey, a social media supervisor at a university in Atlanta, Georgia, has started an online campaign to get the webcam up and running.

The campaign has already attracted the support of some of Teesside’s most wellknown figures, with world speedway champion Gary Havelock and DJ Bob Fischer mentioning his appeal on Twitter.

A BBC spokeswoman said that the Transporter’s webcam had stopped as part of a plan to phase out all webcams on BBC Local websites. She said there were no plans to reintroduce webcam updates.