Council workers were temporarily banned from using weedkiller in South Tyneside

Council workers in South Tyneside were temporarily banned from using a weedkiller linked to cancer.
South Tyneside council suspended the use of a weed killer spraySouth Tyneside council suspended the use of a weed killer spray
South Tyneside council suspended the use of a weed killer spray

South Tyneside Council suspended use of glyphosate, a chemical used in household sprays such as Roundup, between August 17 and 23.

The decision came after a court in California ordered manufacturer Monsanto to pay $289m (£226m) in damages to groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson, who claimed it “substantially” contributed to his terminal diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2014.

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At the time, the council said it was satisfied the product was safe to use by ‘fully trained staff’, but later temporarily reversed this position.

A council spokesperson said: “Given the concern raised, we paused the use of glyphosates temporarily while we checked whether any changes were imminent at national level.

“However, we have since resumed our usual weed-killing programme.

“We continue to follow government regulations for weed control and await any further guidance from DEFRA on the matter.”

James Harrison

Local Democracy Reporting Service