Banned! Police take action after spike in shop thefts

A Louth police inspector has revealed the town has suffered a large increase in shop thefts over the last 12 months due to ‘travelling criminals’ - and that some of them have been served with banning orders as a result.

Neighbourhood Policing Inspector for the area, Phil Baker, spoke to the Leader following the publication of East Lindsey’s crime statistics for 2017.

The figures revealed the Wolds area - including Louth - had suffered an almost 20 per cent rise in thefts compared to 2016.

Insp Baker said: “The crime data indicates ... that Louth Town witnessed a large increase in the number of shop thefts, mostly due to travelling criminals. The good news is that a number of offenders have been prosecuted and given Criminal Behaviour Orders banning them from Louth Town centre.”

Insp Baker said that patrolling police officers and PCSOs work alongside shopkeepers to ensure that thieves who breach the Criminal Behaviour Orders are taken to court, where they could face a prison sentence.

He added that his team works with colleagues at Humberside Police - and on the east coast - to tackle the scourge of ‘travelling criminals’ who appear to target the Louth area, and ensure that they are brought to justice.

Meanwhile, Chief Inspector Colin Haigh has said that East Lindsey’s police officers are continuing to ‘punch above their weight’ in the battle to reduce crime across the district - despite ongoing funding issues.