Spanish City dancer a little tied up for now

ONE of Spanish City’s iconic ‘dancing ladies’ has found herself tied up in knots after a difficult winter.

The dancing cymbal girl, who tops one of the towers on the facade of the famous dome, has had to be secured in place after storm damage put her at risk of falling.

North Tyneside Council on Friday issued reassurance after locals spotted ropes surrounding the figure.

Dating back to 1910, the beloved copper figures were renovated as part of the restoration of the dome. They were temporarily removed and then put back in place in 2017, undergoing further repair work in 2020.

Whilst the sight of the statue having to be tied down may have caused concern for some passersby, the council says the measure is purely a precaution.

Scaffolding will be erected around the statue tower that houses the cymbal playing figure from Monday, May 16, to allow engineers to assess the extent of damage caused.

The other figure, known as the tambourine girl, appears to have avoided damage during the storms which have battered the region over the last few months.

Council officials say they’ll work to ensure the repairs don’t get in the way of visitors or businesses in the seaside town.

Mark Longstaff, Director of Commissioning and Asset Management at North Tyneside Council said: “Our teams will be working to avoid any disruption to the public and businesses in and around Spanish City while these works are taking place. We plan for the initial assessment and repair works to take approximately 10 days to complete.”