South Tyneside man jailed for fly tipping in a popular Jarrow park

Action brought by South Tyneside Council against a South Shields man for fly tipping has resulted in him being jailed for eight weeks.

Magistrates handed the sentence of Michael Kerrigan, of St Cuthbert’s Avenue, after he was found to have dumped a substantial amount of waste, including bags of bricks, rubble and wood in Jubilee Wood, in Jarrow, on June 5, 2023.

The Council’s environmental enforcement officers found documentation among the waste in the name of a resident who had paid Kerrigan £90 to dispose of the rubbish after they believed he was licensed to do so.

As a result, South Tyneside Council were able to identify him and the vehicle used to transport the waste.

The local against the 46-year-old after he failed to make himself available to answer questions about the incident.

He was also found to have committed an offence under Section 33(1a) of the Environment Protection Act 1990 by illegally depositing waste.

Magistrates in South Tyneside also ordered him to pay £150 compensation and ruled that his vehicle will be seized as a result of the incident.

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Following the sentencing, a spokesperson for South Tyneside Council said: “Kerrigan dumped this waste in a natural beauty spot after an innocent householder paid him to take away rubbish.

“He committed this offence whilst on licence, and magistrates have imposed some very heavy penalties in recognition of this.

“As this case has proved, we will always investigate environmental crimes, and where we can identify offenders, will take all action available to us.

“Members of the public can help by being our eyes and ears and reporting any incidents to the council so we can investigate.”

You can report fly-tipping contact South Tyneside Council’s Customer Contact Centre on 0191 427 7000 or via the Council’s website at www.southtyneside.gov.uk/reportit.