Moises Da Silva knows if he is caught setting foot in a store signed up to the Police and Business Against Crime (BAC) scheme he faces the prospect of spending the following six weeks behind bars.

Ninety eight per cent of city centre shops are signed up to the BAC scheme. It brought an injunction against the 37-year-old from Orton Longueville, Peterborough, after he repeatedly flouted existing banning orders.

His case was taken to the county court and an injunction was passed by District Judge Michael Yelton which will prove more effective than punishment which can be meted out by magistrates.

The strict two-year order will be activated by the first breach made by Da Silva rather than having to go through the court system.
Now police and the BAC are seeking to bring injunctions against two more offenders;

Sergeant Mick Thorpe said: "This is the first time the injunction has been used in Cambridgeshire, and hopefully it will act as a big deterrent.

"He has been arrested six or seven times in the past 12 months and he has been ejected from a number of other stores as well.

"He wasn't so much a prolific offender, more of a persistent pilferer who caused considerable problems throughout the city centre.

"The District Judge described him as a 'Blight on the city'."

Police and businesses decided to pursue the strict injunction after becoming fed up with a hardcore of about eight offenders who regularly target stores in the city centre.
Overcrowded prisons mean criminal courts are losing the powers to lock crooks up, but the civil injunctions cut down the process and get instant results.

Sgt Thorpe added: "If he tries to enter any store which has signed up to the BAC scheme he can be arrested.

"If he breaches any aspect of the injunction he will be put before the next available court.

"Hopefully this will send the message out that shoplifters can still be punished even if criminal courts don't lock you away."

Shoplifters face an on-the-spot fine of £80 for a first offence, then being taken before the courts if they steal again.

"If they continue to commit the crime, they could be banned from the shopping centre.

There are currently more than 100 people banned from the Queensgate Centre for shoplifting.