PLANS are underway to prepare for pop superstars One Direction when they visit the region next month.

The boy band kicks off the UK leg of their Where We Are tour at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland on May 28.

The gig, which is set to be one of the biggest ever staged at the stadium, will see thousands of young people attending.

Under-12s will not be allowed to enter if they have a standing ticket and anyone under the age of 16 has to be with an adult.

Sunderland AFC’s head of safety and security, Paul Weir, said: “We want everyone attending One Direction to have a safe and enjoyable experience.

“We are expecting a higher than normal number of children and young people in attendance for this show and are asking parents to be extra vigilant and ensure that they and their children are fully aware of the safety messages and procedures.”

Traffic restrictions will be in place around the stadium, with all access roads closed to ensure the safety of the large number of pedestrians expected.

Parents arranging to drop off youngsters before the show or collect them afterwards are advised to ‘park and walk’, using city centre car parks and then meeting their children at the official rendezvous point within the Sheepfolds Industrial Estate, close to St Peter’s Metro station.

With the show set to end at about 10.15pm, city centre car parks will remain open late for the convenience of concert-goers.

Tyne and Wear Metro will be running extra trains before and after the concert, with additional local bus services also running on the day.