South Shields man appears in court charged with possessing explosives after raid on house

David Preece, 51, of Hathersage Gardens, South Shields, has been charged with possessing an explosive substance and possessing a regulated substance without licence, namely Nitric acid.

He appeared at Magistrates Court sitting at Newcastle Crown Court on Saturday, January 11, wearing a dark grey hoodie, where he confirmed his date of birth and address.

It comes after police officers found suspicious items inside a house in South Shields.

The discovery led to the British Army Explosive Ordnance team and firefighters being called in to support the force as it carried out searches in Hathersage Gardens on the Harton Moor Estate.

The items were later safely removed and officers took precautionary measures to ensure the safety of those living nearby.

Geoffrey Forrester, representing Preece, said that the defendant was a man of good character.

Preece was remanded in custody until Monday, January 13, where he will appear before magistrates at South Tyneside Magistrates Court.

Northumbria Police Detective Chief Inspector Sean Mcguigan, confirmed earlier this week that there is no immediate threat to the public.

He said: “Investigation of this nature can inevitably cause some concern in the local area but I would like to reiterate that there is no immediate threat to the public.”