A total of 100 people who have targeted shops across Essex are currently subject to Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs) – special court orders that typically run for between two and five years.

The approach was pioneered by Essex Police’s Business Crime Team, who identified CBOs – usually used to tackle persistent anti-social behaviour – as a potential way to address shop theft.

Between 1 January and 8 June this year, 678 people were arrested on suspicion of shop theft across Essex. Some are prolific offenders, with 15 or more previous convictions or cautions.

Neighbourhood policing teams investigate shop theft and related offences, with support from business crime officers who help apply to the courts for CBOs to be imposed on habitual offenders.

Tackling root causes

Christian Denning, sergeant of the Business Crime Team, said that if people are simply sentenced for their crimes, there is no incentive to prevent them from re-offending.

He added: “If the causes of their offending, which are often related to drug and alcohol addiction, are not addressed they often can’t stop by themselves because they need immediate cash to fund their habit.

“So we ask the courts to impose criminal behaviour orders with various conditions, such as banning them from the shops they target and requiring them to attend treatment and rehabilitation courses where they will get help and support to give up.”

Denning added that in some cases people are able to “turn their lives around” but that if they continue to steal they could be jailed for “flouting a court order”.

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Recent convictions

Two men have recently been jailed for ignoring CBOs. Following an investigation by Rochford Neighbourhood Policing Team, a 43-year-old Rayleigh man was jailed at Basildon Crown Court for 23 months after disobeying a CBO with conditions not to enter any BP garage containing an M&S store, or any M&S stores. In addition to admitting breaching the CBO and two attempted shop thefts, he also admitted burglary and theft.

Meanwhile, a 38-year-old man was jailed for eight months after breaching a CBO imposed in September 2023, which prevented him from entering any Co-op store in Essex. Ten of the 11 shop thefts he admitted involved Co-op stores in Colchester, which he targeted between 6 and 26 March 2025, sometimes twice in a day.

Other recent cases have included bans from Tesco, Co-op, and John Lewis, and even nationwide restrictions from Boots and Next stores.

Enforcement and support

Denning added that the Business Crime Team work closely with stores across Essex to encourage staff to report all shop thefts, assaults and associated anti-social behaviour, and to supply CCTV images and witness statements.

“This helps us to build strong cases for court and secure successful convictions,” he added. “It also backs up subsequent applications for criminal behaviour orders, where they become necessary.

“Appearing in court accused of shop theft can be a wake-up call for some but for those who persist with shoplifting, CBOs can be an effective way of diverting them from offending by removing the root causes. If that doesn’t work, they can be jailed.”

Of the 128 people arrested on suspicion of shop theft in May, 88 were charged with a total of 241 shop theft offences. Of those, eight were charged with an associated assault.

In the first eight days of June, 37 people were arrested, with 29 later charged with a total of 63 shop thefts and three associated assaults.

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