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Serial shoplifters hit with restraining orders

BBC Shoppers walking through Wrexham city centre.BBC
Police say they hope to take what they learn in Wrexham to other towns and cities

Serial shoplifters are being hit with restraining orders in a bid to cut thefts in one city centre.

It is thought to be the first time a Welsh police force has used this technique as a way of keeping repeat offenders from entering shops.

North Wales Police's Operation Blizzard, launched in Wrexham earlier this month, means restraining orders can be used to prevent a person entering a shop on the grounds they might cause harm to retail staff because of their previous behaviour.

Wrexham business owner Aaron Purvor said he had noticed "a massive downtick in shoplifting and a lot anti-social and drunken behaviour as well".

Police said two restraining orders had been issued since the operation began and Supt Jon Bowcott said had been 731 reports of shoplifting since 1 April, compared to 817 in the same period last year.

Earlier this year, a survey by the British Retail Consortium put the annual cost of shoplifting at £1.8bn, with more than 45,000 incidents a day, with 60% of retailers describing the police response as poor or very poor.

They can be applied to one named shop or a chain of stores across the country.

While such orders are only sought for repeat offenders who are often responsible for a disproportionate number of shop-liftings offences, Operation Blizzard goes further.

Shop-owners Aaron Purvor and Mido Ringer outside the entrance to their Pokemon merchandise story Geckos in Wrexham.
Aaron Purvor (left) with business partner Mido Ringer, welcomed Operation Blizzard as a way of reducing thefts

Mr Purvor who runs Geckos, a Pokemon merchandise shop, with his business partner Mido Ringer, said: "When we originally opened, it [shoplifting] was an issue.

"But we've managed to get it down in the last 12 months to maybe £1,000 or £1,100 of goods stolen.

"Op Blizzard has been good so far. We've noticed a massive down tick in shoplifting and a lot anti-social and drunken behaviour as well."

Superintendent Jon Bowcott in Wrexham city centre. He is wearing a police-issue hat and people can be seen walking along the street over his shoulder
Supt Jon Bowcott said patrols are being carried out in conjunction with restraining orders being issued

Supt Bowcott said, as well as the restraining order, the operation involved "uniformed officers patrolling particular hot spots, areas that have suffered from retail theft - but also plain clothes officers trying to detect offences those committing offences noticing".

Police hope to apply lessons learned from Operation Blizzard to other areas.