Man charged with dad and son crash deaths

A composite image of Peter Webb and his son Ben. Peter Webb is on the left and has dark hair, cut short at the sides and has a short beard on his chin. He is wearing a light green T-shirt. The picture of Ben is on the right. He is wearing a white T-shirt and is standing at a hotel resort with palm trees and a swimming pool in the background. Supplied

Peter Webb and his son Ben died in the crash in South Shields

A man has appeared in court charged with causing the deaths of a father and son in a car crash.

Peter Webb, 40, and his 12-year-old son Ben were in a Skoda Octavia which crashed on John Reid Road in South Shields on 30 August.

Appearing at Newcastle Magistrates' Court, Michael Webb, who is charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, was bailed.

The 35-year-old of Park Avenue, South Shields, will next appear at the city's crown court on 3 October.

The crash happened near the New Mill Inn shortly before 21:00 BST and the pair died at the scene from their injuries.

In a statement, the Webb family said: "Peter was a kind wonderful human who would do anything for his family.

"Ben was the most incredible ray of sunshine with an unbelievable sense of humour."

A police cordon at the scene of the crash. The road is closed in both directions. A tent covers the crashed car but items of wreckage can be seen across the carriageway. It is a dual carriageway with a grass central section on which a long metal fence sits. Thick trees flank the road. There are distance markers, a 40mph sign and a large green sign showing directions off a roundabout. Two police cars and a black car sit either side of the tent.

The crash happened on John Reid Road in South Shields on 30 August

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