North East Mayor is banning junk food
advertising across the Tyne & Wear Metro network from 1st
December 2025.
Mayor Kim is the first outside of London to take this bold action
which marks a significant step forward in protecting children's
health and giving young people the best possible start in
life.
The move follows a successful campaign led by celebrity chef
Jamie Oliver and a pledge signed by UK Mayors to tackle the
harmful impact of junk food marketing on children and young
people.
Mayor Kim said: "Every day, thousands of young people travel on
our Metro network for school and with their friends – I want
parents to know their children will be protected from adverts for
burgers, sweets and fizzy drinks. This is us sending a clear
message to junk food companies - enough is enough.
“The days of targeting children and young people with predatory
adverts for food and drinks that harm their health are over. This
is about giving our young people the best chance to grow up
healthy and make positive choices about what they eat and
drink.”
Helen Mathews, Commercial Director at Nexus, said: “We're pleased
to support the Mayor with this important initiative to help
protect children's health.
“We have a large advertising estate on Metro across our 60
stations and on our fleet of trains. We see a wide range of
brands booking this advertising space. By allowing only healthier
food and drink to be advertised across our system we can play our
part in making our region healthier.”
When a similar ban was introduced by Transport for London,
evidence showed households bought less unhealthy food, tens of
thousands of obesity cases were prevented, and millions of pounds
is expected to be saved by the NHS as a result.
The policy aligns with Government legislation banning junk food
advertising on television before the watershed, due to come into
force on 1st January 2026. The ban will apply to foods classified
as 'less healthy' under Government guidance, including products
high in fat, salt or sugar.
The ban will cover advertising on infrastructure owned and
operated by Nexus, including the Metro network's stations and
trains, the Shields Ferry and selected billboard sites alongside
Metro lines. Small independent businesses such as local
restaurants are not included in the ban and neither are tenancies
on stations.
The ban represents a key manifesto commitment from Mayor Kim and
demonstrates the Mayor's commitment to tackling health
inequalities across the region.
Notes to Editors:
- The ban will come into effect on 1st December 2025 across all
Tyne & Wear Metro advertising managed by Global Media.
- The policy follows Government guidance on ‘High Fat, Salt and
Sugar ‘as outlined in legislation for television advertising
restrictions.
- Small businesses not required to publish nutritional
information on their menus are exempt from the policy.
- Some non-compliant advertisements may remain on the network
briefly after 1st December due to the six-week advertising
lifecycle.
