Prolific Peterborough shoplifter now banned from Ortongate shopping centre as well as Bretton centre

A prolific shoplifter who has been convicted of more than 20 shoplifting offences has had extra conditions added to his court order.

Edward Wilby, 34, of Mandeville, Orton Goldhay, was made subject of a two-year Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) in July last year after he was convicted of 24 shoplifting-related offences in Peterborough over a two-year period.

The order banned him from the Bretton Centre, including the BP petrol station and M&S store, as well as the area bordered by Flaxlands, Rightwell East, and Bretton Way.

On Friday (17 May), a further two conditions were added to the order at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court.

The new conditions state that he must not:

Enter any shop within the Ortongate shopping centre, including the Co-Op petrol station, as bordered by Misterton, Busway, footpath to rear of Ortongate shopping centre

Enter Tesco Express, Napier Place, Orton Wistow, or its grounds.

Earlier this month The Peterborough Telegraph reported that shoplifting was continuing to rise in the city, with a 22 per cent increase in crimes in 2023.

PC Saunders, from Peterborough’s Southern Neighbourhood Policing Team, welcomed the action taken at court and said: “The application to vary Wilby’s CBO was a result of his offending moving from the northern sector of Peterborough to the southern, with four shoplifting convictions this year.

“This is great news for the businesses that have been impacted by his offending, and I hope that this shows them that we are working hard to tackle retail crime.

“These court orders give us greater powers when it comes to tackling prolific offenders. If he is found to be in breach of the order, we are able to arrest him and put him before the courts.”

Anyone with information about Wilby breaching his CBO should contact police via the web chat service or online forms at www.cambs.police.uk/report.