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A South Shields man who made life a misery for neighbours by persistently burning waste in his yard has been ordered to pay more than £900 by magistrates.

South Tyneside Magistrates' Court heard how Wayne Allen failed to comply with a Community Protection Notice that was served on him in July last year.

The Notice, issued by Â鶹ÊÓƵ's Environmental Health Service, called on the 44-year-old to stop burning waste materials in his yard in Devonshire Street, South Shields. It was served after an earlier Community Protection Warning was ignored.

The Court was told that the smoke emitted from the yard had become insufferable for neighbours who were unable to open their windows or access their gardens over the many months when burning occurred.

Allen committed offences under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 when he ignored the Notice and continued to burn waste.

He was found guilty of two counts of breaching the Community Protection Notice during a court hearing he attended in February.

During sentencing this week, Allen was fined £300 and ordered to pay costs of £600, plus a victim surcharge of £34. He was also issued with a Criminal Behaviour Order meaning that if he continues to burn materials, or not appropriately dispose of waste, he may be arrested, returned to court and risk facing a custodial sentence.

A Â鶹ÊÓƵ spokesperson said: "The behaviour of this resident had a real negative impact on the quality of life of neighbours due to the extremely unpleasant smell, smoke and fumes caused by the persistent burning of waste material.

"Prosecution is only ever a last resort. In this case, the resident ignored several warnings to stop burning waste in his yard and we were left with no other option but to pursue the matter through the courts.

"We hope that this prosecution sends out a clear message that we will take action wherever we can to help protect the rights of local residents who should be able enjoy their property and their outdoor space in comfort and free from such nuisance behaviour."

Residents can report incidents like this as well as a wide range of issues on the Council's website at www.southtyneside.gov.uk/reportit or by calling the Council's Customer Contact Centre on (0191) 427 7000 (open from Monday to Friday, 8am to 6.30pm).