Prolific Peterborough thief banned from Bretton Centre after M&S thefts

A prolific Peterborough thief has been banned from a shopping centre after being caught shoplifting on multiple occasions.

Edward Wilby, 33, was handed the two-year order prohibiting him from going to the Bretton Centre at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (20 July).

The order states Wilby, of no fixed address, must not enter 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.

The order was sought by officers from Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s Prevention and Vulnerability Hub, due to Wilby’s level of offending – 22 convictions for theft and similar offences recorded against his name, with 14 shoplifting offences committed in the last eight months.

Sergeant Rob Reay, from the force’s Prevention & Vulnerability Hub, said: “Shoplifting is often seen as a ‘low-level’ offence, however there are victims to these crimes – the stores who have increased costs and insurance premiums, not to mention the impact the high-volume of offending has on our police force.

“For repeat offenders such as Wilby, we are using other powers such as applying for CBOs to prevent them from entering areas where they are committing crime and causing harm, reducing the impact on both local businesses and the force.”

The thefts he was sentenced for were:

Theft of food from BP/M&S, Bretton Centre on 27 November

Theft of meat from BP/M&S, Bretton Centre on 6 December

Theft of meat from BP/M&S, Bretton Centre on 29 January

Theft of meat from BP/M&S, Bretton Centre on 5 February

Theft of meat from BP/M&S, Bretton Centre on 7 February

Theft of meat from BP/M&S, Bretton Centre on 8 February

Theft of meat from BP/M&S, Bretton Centre on 11 February

Theft of meat from BP/M&S, Bretton Centre on 13 February

Theft of meat from BP/M&S, Bretton Centre on 21 February

Theft of food from BP/M&S, Bretton Centre on 26 February

Theft of meat from BP/M&S, Bretton Centre on 19 June

Theft of chocolate from Martin’s news agents, Bretton Centre on 3 July

Theft of chocolate from Martin’s news agents, Bretton Centre on 5 July

Theft of drinks from Martin’s news agents, Bretton Centre on 8 July

On 13 July, he appeared at Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court where he was sentenced to four weeks in prison for the June and July offences.

On 8 March he appeared at the same court where he was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months, for the other offences. He was also made subject of a 30-day Drugs Rehabilitation Requirement and a benefits deduction order.

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. Those without internet access should call 101.