A BANNED driver was caught riding a quad motorbike with his young son perched on the front as he went on an illegal trip to the shops.

Gary Welsh branded officers ‘jobsworth’ after they arrested him just three months after he was sentenced for drink driving.

The 40-year-old was also serving a suspended sentence for harassment at the time of the offence.

Uzma Khan, prosecuting, police were alerted to the incident after concerned calls from the public about the risk to the young child.

Welsh was identified from CCTV and was tracked down by police who arrested him.

Miss Khan told Teesside Crown Court that the defendant was not pleased to have been arrested and shouted at the officer 'you're a right jobsworth, I only went to Heron on it'.

She added: "The CCTV showed this defendant driving with a young child sitting at the front of the quad bike."

The court heard that the bike belonged to a friend of the defendant and wasn't travelling at high speed but has a 'substantial record' for motoring offences and non-compliance with court orders.

The father-of-five, of Eastcroft Road, Grangetown, Middlesbrough, admitted driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance on June 22 this year.

Annelise Haugstad, in mitigation, said her client was expecting another child with his partner and any imprisonment would impact on the family.

Judge Jonathan Carroll sentenced Welsh to 11 months in custody for all offences.

He said: "Your attitude to your further offending was that police were in the wrong and they were the jobsworths and that you were perfectly fine doing what you were doing.

"You committed the offence within three months of having a community order after driving whilst over the limit of alcohol, driving whilst uninsured with no licence and disqualified. This is so serious considering your record and a custodial sentence is justified – you have a shocking record."

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