A Launceston man has been temporarily banned from the town centre after admitting to numerous shoplifting offences.

On Monday, August 4, Michael Burton, aged 42, pleaded guilty to five shoplifting offences.

Following his court appearance at Bodmin Magistrates Court, he was made the subject of a full Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO), which will be in place until 3 August 2028.

Burton will be banned from a number of shops in the area.

The order prohibits him from:

  • Remaining in any shop, supermarket, or any other commercial premises after being asked to leave by any member of staff, owner of the premises, security guard or any other person responsible for the premises
  • Entering any shop, supermarket, or any other commercial premises he is banned from
  • Enter the Co-op [Broad Street] or the Spar Shop [Dutson Road]
  • He has also been ordered to pay a total of £112.92 in compensation to the affected shops.

Police Inspector Greg Hodgkiss, in charge of local policing in the area, said: “I welcome this order from the courts.

“The local team put in a lot of hard work to secure this CBO to put a stop to his prolific offending and we’ve already seen a significant reduction in reported shoplifting in the local area.

“Targeting shoplifters remains a priority for officers in North Cornwall. This work forms our approach to tackling shoplifting, with Burton being our latest prosecution."

Inspector Hodgkiss added: “Our team will continue to investigate reports and take action in response to concerns in our community.

“I’d like to ask the public and retailers to continue to report any and all business crime to us. We’re listening and taking action.”