Sting confesses Metro mishap left him rushing to North Shields for Freedom of the Borough

Sting has confessed he was left rushing to receive the Freedom of the Borough of North Tyneside when he boarded a Metro travelling in the wrong direction.

The Wallsend-born musician, whose real name is Gordon Matthew Sumner, was back on home turf last week for the honour at an official ceremony in North Shields.

In an interview with ITV Tyne Tees last week he revealed that he had travelled on the Metro from Newcastle to North Shields for the sense of "nostalgia".

However, he has now revealed his trip almost went wrong as he originally got on a Metro going in the opposite direction, leaving him in a rush to get to the ceremony.

Fortunately, he noticed his mistake and changed trains. He arrived without further hiccups and shared the details of his journey with ITV Tyne Tees presenter Amy Lea ahead of the ceremony.

"I came on the Metro from Central Station to North Shields to really get into the nostalgia of being back home," he explained. "But I got lost.

"There are a lot of stations on the metro that I've never heard of that they have built since I left so I was a little anxious but I made it."

Sting initially rose to prominence as the frontman for the band The Police before forging a successful solo career. He has won 47 awards including 17 Grammys and three Brits.

He was awarded the Freedom of the Borough in 2010 but it was officially bestowed at the ceremony on Thursday 9 November.

It is the highest honour any local authority can bestow and it was awarded to acknowledge the 72-year-old's achievements, lasting influence on the global music landscape and advocacy for North Tyneside.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...