THE boss of a gipsy camp has been fined by a judge after he admitted possession of a pepper spray and a can of CS gas.

The weapons were found in a garage belonging to Louis Welch, who manages the Honeypot Lane gipsy camp in Darlington.

Aisha Wadoodi, prosecuting, told Teesside Crown Court that the discovery was made by police who searched Welch's home, in Geneva Road, Darlington, on September 7 last year.

Welch, 35, had been due to go on trial yesterday after originally denying the offences.

But he changed his pleas, admitting two charges of possessing a weapon, designed or adapted to discharge a noxious liquid, gas or other substance.

Welch said that the items found by police were in fact not his and said he had taken them off "some gipsies".

Judge John Walford fined Welch £500 and ordered him to pay £720 in prosecution costs.