A serial shoplifter from St Leonards has been slapped with a three-year Criminal Behaviour Order following a persistent campaign of thefts targeting the same Hastings supermarket.
Clive Fullick, 57, of Stonehouse Drive, admitted to 20 counts of shoplifting at Hastings Magistrates’ Court on 20 October. All offences were committed at the Co-op store on Bohemia Road in Hastings.
The court imposed a Criminal Behaviour Order designed to curb Fullick’s repeat offending and protect retail staff and the wider community. The order remains in force until October 2027.
Under the stringent conditions, Fullick is banned from remaining in any Sussex retail premises after being instructed to leave by staff or security. He must also avoid any stores that have formally excluded him and stay at least 30 metres away from the Bohemia Road Co-op where the thefts occurred.
In addition to the three-year order, magistrates ordered Fullick to pay £2,295 in compensation to the retailer. He was also directed to engage in a rehabilitation programme for substance misuse.
Sussex Police confirmed the measures are intended to prevent further criminal activity and safeguard businesses in the area. The force did not specify the dates of the offences or provide details about the items stolen.
Criminal Behaviour Orders were introduced in October 2014 under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act. They replaced Anti-Social Behaviour Orders on conviction and can only be imposed alongside a criminal sentence after an offender has been found guilty.
The orders require courts to be satisfied that an individual has engaged in behaviour causing or likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to others. Judges must also consider that imposing the order will help prevent future offending.
CBOs can last a minimum of two years for adults, with no maximum duration. Breaching the terms constitutes a criminal offence punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment or an unlimited fine, or both.
The Fullick case reflects a broader crisis engulfing UK retailers. Shoplifting offences in England and Wales reached a record high in 2024, with 469,788 recorded incidents in the 12 months to June, marking a 29% increase on the previous year.
The figures represent the highest level since current recording practices began in 2003. Convenience retailers alone reported an estimated 5.6 million theft incidents over the past year, according to the Association of Convenience Stores’ 2024 Crime Report.
The Co-op chain, which operates approximately 2,400 stores across the UK, has been particularly hard hit. The retailer reported a 44% surge in retail crime over the past year, attributing much of the increase to organised criminal activity.
Industry data reveals the total cost of retail crime, including prevention measures, reached £3.3 billion in the year to August 2023. This represents a £1.5 billion increase compared to the previous 12-month period.
Violence and abuse directed at shop workers has escalated alongside theft. The British Retail Consortium’s 2024 survey found there were approximately 476,690 incidents of violence and abuse against retail staff in 2022/23, averaging 1,306 incidents daily.
Encountering shoplifters remains the primary trigger for violent incidents in stores. The Association of Convenience Stores reported that 87% of convenience store colleagues have faced verbal abuse over the past year, with substance addiction cited as the leading motivation for repeat offending.
Retailers have responded by significantly increasing investment in security. The industry spent approximately £1.2 billion on crime prevention measures including CCTV systems, security personnel, intruder alarms and body cameras for staff in 2022/23.
The Co-op has increased its security budget by around 50% over the past two years. Other major chains are deploying facial recognition technology and sharing intelligence with police through Project Pegasus, a partnership aimed at identifying prolific offenders.
Police forces across England and Wales have intensified their use of Criminal Behaviour Orders to tackle retail crime. The orders typically include exclusion zones preventing offenders from entering specific shops or town centre areas where they have repeatedly committed offences.
Positive requirements, such as mandatory attendance at substance misuse programmes, are increasingly incorporated into CBOs to address underlying causes of criminal behaviour. Offenders who fail to comply with these requirements face imprisonment for breach.
The Labour government introduced new legislation in July 2024 to reclassify thefts of goods worth less than £200 as serious crimes, reversing a 2014 policy that resulted in lighter punishment for such offences. The government also created a standalone offence for assaulting shop workers, punishable by up to six months in jail.
Sussex Police have urged retailers to report every incident of theft and the public to remain vigilant. Forces nationwide have pledged to attend scenes where violence is involved, repeat offenders have been detained, or evidence needs securing.
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