Two prolific shoplifters banned from Gainsborough shops and given Criminal Behaviour Orders

John Cash and Stuart Foster have been given the Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBO) by the courts following a string of shoplifting offences.

Cash, 31, of Lea Road, Gainsborough, was issued with a two-year CBO for prolific shoplifting between October 13, and November 14, at B&M and Tesco in Gainsborough.

The conditions of the CBO, issued by the court on November 16, mean he is prohibited from entering any retail premises in Gainsborough except Caddys, Jet, and the Co-Op for two years.

Stuart Foster, 48, of Woods Terrace, Gainsborough, was handed a three-year CBO for a series of shop thefts at various shops in Gainsborough, including Tesco.

The conditions of the CBO, issued on December 6, mean he must not enter any retail premises in Gainsborough except for Aldi in Lea Road, or the Jet Station on Bridge Road.

He must not behave in a manner, including the use of offensive language or gestures, that is likely to cause any person alarm or distress in Gainsborough.

If the CBO’s are breached, this is a criminal offence and custodial sentence can be enforced. For the most serious offences, this can be up to five years.

The two CBOs are the result of proactive work between the Gainsborough Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) and North Kesteven District Council, working with businesses and the community to compile evidence and testimony outlining the harm being caused by such behaviour.

Inspector Michael Head said: "Both Cash and Foster caused persistent issues within the Gainsborough area. They targeted retail premises with no regard for the impact their actions would have on staff, the business or the local community."This type of offending blights our communities and we want to protect our communities from it. These orders seek to provide longer-term solutions to prevent this behaviour, allowing both prohibitive and positive requirements to be imposed.”