Prolific shoplifter banned from city centre stores
16 January 2008
Prolific shoplifter Benjamin Webster has been banned from Manchester city centre stores under the terms of an indefinite anti-social behaviour order obtained by Manchester City Council.
If Webster - who has no settled address and has more than 50 criminal convictions - does enter a store in the ban area he will be arrested for breach of his order and could face jail.
The City Council obtained an interim ASBO against Webster last August after he threatened shop staff in the city centre.
Magistrates agreed to a full ASBO in his absence on January 8 this year. The City Council was able to serve him with the ASBO in the Arndale Centre - from which he is now banned - after he was spotted on security cameras.
The Executive Member for Neighbourhood Services, Councillor Eddy Newman, said: "We have a duty to provide the safest possible environment in the city centre for workers and visitors and we will not hesitate to use all the legal powers at our disposal to maintain it. We want to help businesses flourish and not to suffer from harassment and anti-social behaviour."
The ban area extends from north of the MEN Arena to south of Manchester Central, from Great Ancoats Street in the east to the Salford border in the west.
Media contact:
Dave Hulme, tel: 0161 234 4610
