A THIEF has been banned from all Carlisle city centre stores and sentenced to six months in prison after a month-long shoplifting spree netted him £2,500 worth of goods.

Pete Vickers, 42, of Chatsworth Square, Carlisle admitted 12 counts of theft in Carlisle Magistrates Court on Saturday. Between February 19 and March 28, Vickers stole items worth a total of £2,528 from a number of shops across Carlisle and Penrith including B&M, Thorntons and Houghton Hall garden centre.

Alongside numerous scented candles, items stolen by Vickers included a £60 beanbag and a table shaped like an elephant. Vickers also shoplifted three Amazon Alexa speakers, £100 worth of perfume from Matalan and hundreds of pounds in alcohol and food.

In light of the seriousness of the Vickers’ shoplifting spree, as well as his history of committing similar offences, Magistrates sentenced Vickers to 26 weeks in prison. They also imposed on him a two-year Criminal Behaviour Order, banning Vickers from entering dozens of shops in Carlisle.

Vickers is now banned from entering all shops located in the city centre, as well as any premises in Carlisle that are part of the Shopwatch crime prevention scheme. In addition to this, Vickers is banned from setting foot in the three Carlisle branches of B&M and the Houghton Hall garden centre in the north of the city - two of the premises from which Vickers stole.

Commenting on two-year ban received by Vickers, PC Lori Watson of Cumbria Police said that “Criminal Behaviour Orders are valuable tools to help give local businesses some respite from prolific offending.

“We publicise these orders because we want the public to help us ensure the terms are not broken.

“If you see Vickers ignoring the terms of the order then contact police immediately.”

Sergeant Lewis Powell, part of Cumbria Police’s city centre neighbourhood policing team said that “shoplifting is not just an economic crime, it has knock effects throughout a community”.

“We will continue to work closely with retailers and Shopwatch members to prevent this type of crime. I hope that this result reassures retailers that shoplifting is taken seriously and will prosecute with their assistance.

“Criminal Behaviour Orders are valuable tools to both ourselves and the courts to help curtail the offending of those who persistently commit crimes and it is my hope that the terms of the order will help give some respite to businesses in Carlisle city centre. We would urge the people of Carlisle to assist us and the courts in enforcing this order. If you witness Vickers breaching the terms of the order, contact police immediately.” This result sends out a clear message that shoplifting will not be tolerated.”

“We will continue to work with partners to identify prolific offenders and secure long term CBO’s against those that repeat offend. We hope this acts as a warning to anyone who carries out such offences.”