Photo by Jude Mack
A Northumberland fishing couple with a combined history of convictions stretching back more than 25 years have been disqualified from holding fishing permits until 2029, after a court found they had shown a “flagrant disregard” for fisheries legislation.
Charles Michael Denton and Brenda Denton, skipper and owner respectively of the Newbiggin-by-the-Sea vessel Andigee WY372, were sentenced at North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court on 16 April for multiple offences committed in 2024 and 2025. The court imposed fines and costs totalling £6,060 and disqualified both defendants from holding any Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority permit for three years.
What officers found
The most serious charges stemmed from a joint compliance patrol on 11 September 2024, by the Marine Management Organisation, Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NIFCA) and Northumbria Police at the Port of Blyth. Officers boarded the vessel following intelligence reports that the Andigee was repeatedly landing undersized shellfish. Of 250 lobsters inspected and measured, 248 – nearly the entire catch – were below the minimum conservation reference size. The haul also included 28 egg-bearing hens and two lobsters with mutilated tails. Only two lobsters were compliant with the law.
A second set of offences followed in January 2025, when officers from NIFCA and the MMO inspected static gear set by the Andigee in the NIFCA district – a vessel that held no valid permit to fish at the time. Officers seized 70 illegally set lobster pots, unmarked and improperly displayed, containing 174 undersized lobsters and one berried specimen. The court ordered all 70 pots forfeited.
The Dentons were found guilty of the 2025 IFCA offences at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court in December 2025, and entered guilty pleas on the day of trial for the 2024 offences.
A 25-year history
Charles Denton’s record of fisheries offences spans more than a quarter century. As recently as June 2023, he was sentenced for retaining 179 undersized lobsters and fined over £2,400. In March 2023 he was separately convicted and fined for impeding NIFCA officers attempting to inspect his then vessel, bringing his running tally of fisheries convictions to over 30. A 12-month permit disqualification imposed in early 2024 for that conviction proved insufficient to deter further offending.
Nick Weir, lead enforcement officer at NIFCA, welcomed the outcome: “NIFCA welcome the court’s decision to disqualify Mr and Mrs Denton from holding any IFCA permit along with the fines and forfeiture ordered, we agree with the court’s assessment of Mr and Mrs Denton’s ‘flagrant disregard’ for fisheries legislation. Joint operations such as these show NIFCA’s commitment to promoting healthy seas, sustainable fishing and a viable industry whilst vigorously pursuing anyone who jeopardises the health of the fishery.”
Sean Douglas, head of regulatory assurance at the MMO, added: “We are pleased to have secured this intelligence-led prosecution in coordination with our local partners. This outcome demonstrates the effectiveness of our joint enforcement and sends a clear message that we will take firm action against those who break the rules to protect our marine environment and fish and shellfish stocks for future generations.”