About Michael
Michael is a former senior police officer who served for thirty years in Northumbria, Cleveland, and The Royal Ulster Constabulary. A highlight of his policing career was serving as Deputy Area Commander for Sunderland. Prior to joining the Police Service, he worked as a seagoing marine engineer for Blue Star Line, a Liverpool shipping company. He has lived in Fulwell all his life and attended local schools.
He served as Chair of Governors at Fulwell Junior School for 30 years, taking great pride in the school’s ‘Outstanding’ status over many years. He is dedicated to ensuring that Fulwell, Seaburn, and South Bents remain among the best and healthiest places to live in the North East. To this end, he has been a tireless campaigner against Northumbrian Water and Sunderland Council regarding their assertion that it is acceptable to discharge over 700,000 tonnes a year of untreated sewerage into the sea at Whitburn, and particularly the Council’s decision to ignore this environmental and health scandal - Support for this campaign is growing, and, working with others, he is determined not to let this issue persist.
Since retiring from the Police Service, he remains active, working two days a week as a lecturer at Sunderland College and undertaking consultancy work in Restorative Justice for victims of crime, as well as investigative work concerning breaches of discipline and workplace grievances. He also engages in voluntary work, fundraising for LiverNorth, a North East regional charity supporting patients and their families suffering and recovering from serious liver problems and transplants. He is a keen caravaner and enjoys spending time in the great outdoors.
Michael was elected in 2021 and re-elected in 2024.
