The Shields Gazette 31/03/1941 reports: Many complaints of delays of seven and eight weeks in the delivery of household coal have been made by consumers in several parts of South Shields, and much of the criticism of the distribution has been levelled at local coal merchants. Mr Thomas Alllen, secretary of South Shields Coal Merchants Association, today pointed out to the Shields Gazette that no blame could be attached to local merchants who, he said, had done and were doing everything they possibly could to relieve the present shortage in supplies. He stated that in addition to the seasonal difficulty of dealing with increased orders, war time transport difficulties in getting the coal from the collieries to the merchants were responsible for the shortage.