Gareth Crickmer

Keiron McGow, 27, of Jarrow, pleaded guilty after being detained by Tesco security while attempting to steal goods worth just under £40. Police found a lock knife and drugs during a search. The court heard that McGow had lost his job and his dog and had been carrying the knife intending to harm himself. He received a 15-month community order with rehabilitation requirements, was ordered to pay £85 in costs and a £114 victim surcharge, and had the knife and drugs forfeited and destroyed. The judge warned that further knife offending or failure to comply with the order could lead to imprisonment.

A South Tyneside magistrates’ court extended a partial closure order on a South Tyneside Homes property in Witham Green, Hedworth, for three months. South Tyneside Council said ten further antisocial-behaviour incidents had been reported since the original order, many involving a woman who repeatedly attended the property and required police removal. The extension is intended to support continued monitoring while the council pursues possession proceedings against the tenant.

Campaigners Bronwyn Mogie and Andrew Leslie are progressing plans for a museum and skills centre dedicated to South Tyneside’s shipbuilding heritage. They are establishing a charity that could seek up to £10 million in funding, while exploring a riverside site and developing partnerships with local heritage, cultural and tourism organisations. A first community engagement event will be held in Hebburn on August 21, with residents invited to share memories and support the project. Northumbria University academics and students are assisting with historical expertise and a five-year plan, while Muckle LLP is providing pro-bono legal advice.

Maurice Allan, 54, of South Shields, pleaded guilty to two counts of drug driving, driving while disqualified and possessing cocaine after police arrested him at Washington Services. His blood contained cocaine at more than twice the legal limit, while its breakdown product was far above the permitted threshold. The court heard he had begun using cocaine amid stress over police attempts to locate his wanted son, who later died in Dubai. Allan was banned from driving for 12 months, fined £120, ordered to pay a £96 surcharge and £85 in costs, and received a concurrent six-month ban and further £120 fine for driving while disqualified.

North East Automotive Alliance chief executive Paul Butler has backed Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s plans to reform education and reduce the number of 16-to-18-year-olds not in education, employment or training. Butler argues that schools should place greater value on practical, vocational and technical learning, with stronger links between employers, schools, colleges and universities. South Tyneside’s estimated NEET rate is 5.6%, below the North East rate of 6.8%. Burnham’s proposed reforms and the North East Local Skills Improvement Plan 2026–2029 aim to create clearer routes into employment while addressing employers’ skills needs.

South Tyneside Council has voted to revoke its 2019 climate emergency declaration after a motion proposed by Reform councillor Steven Smith. Former Labour councillor Ernest Gibson condemned the decision as “sheer vandalism,” warning that it could put more than £30 million in climate-related grants at risk, limit access to future funding and regional partnerships, and threaten jobs and public services. Smith said council officers should review policies, targets and spending commitments arising from the declaration and assess their legal, financial and value-for-money implications.

Wayne Riley, 37, was fined £120 and given six penalty points after pleading guilty to failing to identify who was driving his BMW 320 when it crashed into two lampposts on the A194 at Jarrow. The car was found abandoned, and Riley did not respond to a police request for driver information. Additional charges of driving without due care and failing to stop were dropped. He was also ordered to pay £85 in court costs and a £48 victim surcharge.

Christopher Larsen, 59, who is serving a life licence after a 1998 murder conviction, received a 10-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months after pleading guilty to burglary at Haven Court Care Home in South Shields. Prosecutors said he helped steal £452 worth of goods and caused £1,898 in window damage while residents slept, although Larsen maintained that he only stood outside. The court cited the vulnerability of the victims, ordered 25 rehabilitation days and six months of drug rehabilitation, and required him to pay £500 compensation.

Alan Thompson, 35, of near Westoe in South Tyneside, was sentenced after fleeing from police in South Shields while carrying a kitchen knife and two bags of cannabis. He pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis and an offensive weapon in a public place. Magistrates imposed a 26-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months, a 12-month community order with 20 rehabilitation days, a monitored 90-day alcohol abstinence order, and a six-week overnight curfew. He must also pay a £187 victim surcharge and £85 in court costs.

London-trained performer Amy Duggan is launching the AFD Performance Club in South Shields for children aged seven to 11. The Sunday morning classes will combine singing, movement, acting and performance techniques, with a focus on healthy vocal technique, harmonies and confidence building. The group begins on September 6 at The Wellbeing Loft, costs £7.50 per session and has space for up to 20 children, with no previous performance experience required.

Daniel Flood, a 47-year-old homeless man, pleaded guilty at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court to attempting to steal £90 worth of T-shirts from Boyes’ store in South Shields. Staff stopped him as he bypassed the tills and all items were recovered. Citing his guilty plea, cooperation with police, remorse and 14 months without a further offence, his solicitor sought mitigation. Magistrates fined him £40 and ordered him to pay £85 in costs and a £16 victim surcharge, bringing the total to £141.