Serial thief is banned from shops in three West Cumbrian towns

Published at 12:08, Friday, 21 December 2012

Serial shoplifter Louise Dixon has been banned from entering shops in Workington, Maryport and Cockermouth for the next two years.

SHOPS BAN: Louise Dixon

The strict anti-social behaviour order is designed to stop Dixon, 30, of Greens Yard, Cockermouth, causing “unnecessary distress” to retailers in all three towns, say police.

She is banned from going into stores in the towns which are part of the Shopwatch scheme.

Dixon appeared before West Cumbria magistrates last week to be sentenced for shoplifting two cans of vodka at Maryport Co-op.

The court heard that she had committed 15 shoplifting offences between August 6, 2009 and May 18, 2012.

She had stolen items including cosmetics, body wash, washing tablets and alcohol.

Dixon had already been sentenced to 56 days in prison by magistrates in February 2011 after stealing from Tesco in Workington.

Other punishments have included a community order and 12-week curfew requirement, fixed penalty notices and a six-month drug rehabilitation requirement.

She was handed an exclusion notice in June this year under the Maryport Shopwatch scheme, which banned her from shops in Maryport.

She was also placed under exclusion notices three times under the Workington Shopwatch scheme – in May 2011, October 2010 and May 6, 2010.

During that period she breached the exclusion notices by entering shops as a trespasser at least six times.

A spokeswoman for Cumbria police said: “Cumbria police applied for an asbo in relation to Louise Dixon after the unnecessary distress she was causing to retailers in Maryport, Cockermouth and Workington by continually shoplifting.

“It is recognised that with support from the police and partner agencies, Miss Dixon is receiving the support she needs in order to reform and her offending has reduced significantly in the last few months.”

The spokeswoman added that this type of asbo had been used before on individuals who had shoplifted and carried out other offences.

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