Shop bans for prolific Grantham shoplifters

Two prolific shoplifters in the Grantham area have been banned from shops in the town centre and other areas of the county for the next three years.

Christopher Hay and Daniel Scoffield have each been given a three year Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) by the courts following a string of shoplifting offences.

Hay, 35, of William Street, Grantham, was given the order on 28 April, which will remain in place for the next three years.

The conditions mean he is prohibited from entering any retail premises in Grantham town centre unless accompanied by a support worker or responsible officer, with the exception of Grantham Pharmacy in High Street and Farmfoods in London Road.

He is also banned from entering any stores in the Grantham Retail Park at Gonerby Road, or entering an other retain premises throughout the county where he has received an official banning notice from staff or police.

Daniel Scoffield, 34, of Witham Place, Grantham was given the order following on 26 April and will last for three years.

The conditions of the CBO mean he must not enter any retail premises in Grantham town centre unless accompanied by a support worker or responsible officer, with the exception of Grantham Pharmacy in High Street.

He is also banned from entering stores in the Grantham Retail Park in Gonerby Road, any retail premises in Skegness, and any retail premises throughout the county where he has received an official banning notice from staff or police.

He is also ordered not to enter stores in the company of two specific individuals across the whole of Lincolnshire.

A CBO is a civil order designed to tackle the most serious and persistent anti-social individuals where their behaviour has brought them before a criminal court.

The orders mean there are now enforceable rules on where they can and cannot go, and that they will no longer be able to plague the stores in Grantham which they previously targeted.

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 Grantham Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) and South Kesteven District Council, working with businesses and the community to compile evidence and testimony outlining the harm being caused by such behaviour.

South Kesteven Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Mark Hillson, said: “Both Hay and Scoffield caused persistent issues within the Grantham 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. They also provide the courts with additional sentencing powers to deal with any breaches.

“A disproportionate amount of harm and criminal behaviour is committed by a few prolific offenders; by targeting these people we aim to significantly reduce harm in the community. Both Hay and Scoffield now have an opportunity to take the help and support being offered and rehabilitate themselves.”

We keep a continued watch of people who have been issued with CBOs, and we proactively release their image so that members of the community have the opportunity to recognise offending, and are more able to report an incident if one occurs.

If you have an incident you feel needs police attention, please contact us on 101.

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