Key Points
- West Mercia Police are asking the public to report any sightings of 40-year-old Gareth Jones inside specified shops.
- Telford Magistrates’ Court extended Jones’s Criminal Behaviour Order by 12 months on Friday, 23 October 2026.
- The order was first imposed for five years in October 2025 and will now run until October 2031.
- Under the new conditions, Jones cannot enter any Tesco or Co-op in Telford, or the Waitrose in Newport.
- Officers advised anyone who sees Jones not to approach him, but to call 101 or submit a report online.
Telford (Birmingham Express) November 4, 2026 – Police authorities have called on members of the public to contact law enforcement immediately if a 40-year-old man from Willowfield, Telford, is spotted inside multiple national retail chains across Shropshire.
As reported by police reporting teams at West Mercia Police, Gareth Jones was handed a 12-month extension to his existing Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) during a hearing at Telford Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 23 October 2026.
The court granted the order extension following ongoing retail theft offences committed by Jones across the region.
The court decision imposes stringent new geographic conditions, explicitly forbidding him from setting foot inside any Tesco or Co-op store situated within the town of Telford, alongside a blanket ban covering the Waitrose supermarket in nearby Newport.
What Specific Restrictions Are Included in the Extended Court Order?
As detailed by reporting staff at the Whitchurch Herald, Jones was originally made subject to a five-year Criminal Behaviour Order in October 2025 following repeated shoplifting offences.
The initial order barred him from entering a total of 14 designated retail premises spread across Telford, Oswestry, Shrewsbury, and Whitchurch.
However, court proceedings revealed that Jones continued to commit theft despite the active restrictions already placed upon him.
The updated judicial order lengthens the expiration date of his conditions from October 2030 to October 2031.
How Have Senior Police Officers Responded to the Court Ruling?
Police leadership emphasized that legal enforcement mechanisms are essential to protect local businesses, retail employees, and shoppers from persistent offenders.
As reported by regional news editor Megan Jones of Shropshire Live, Inspector Rich Jones of West Mercia Police stated:
“These orders are an important tool that help us tackle persistent offending and protect businesses, their staff and the wider public. Despite already being subject to a CBO, Jones continued to offend, leaving us with no option but to apply for an extension and seek additional restrictions through the courts.”
Inspector Jones further highlighted the wider economic and social harm caused by repeat shoplifting incidents across local commercial hubs.
As recorded by West Mercia Police official media communications, Inspector Rich Jones added:
“We know the impact repeat offending can have on retailers and their employees, and we hope this extended order sends a clear message that we will take action against those who repeatedly engage in criminal and antisocial behaviour. We will continue to work closely with local businesses and our partners to ensure Telford remains a safe place to live, work and shop.”
Background of the Particular Development
Criminal Behaviour Orders were introduced in England and Wales under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, replacing the former Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) framework.
Designed to address persistent anti-social conduct and repeat misdemeanor crimes, a CBO can be issued by a court upon the application of the prosecution following a criminal conviction. Breach of a CBO constitutes a distinct criminal offence, carrying potential penalties of up to five years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.
In retail settings across Shropshire, local police forces have increasingly deployed CBOs in partnership with business crime reduction partnerships (BCRPs). Repeat shoplifting and targeted store theft have caused significant operational strain for local business owners, leading forces such as West Mercia Police to push for broader conditions when individuals repeatedly violate court-ordered exclusions.
Jones’s original order in October 2025 followed a series of theft convictions, including custodial sentences for shoplifting offences in regional supermarket branches. His failure to adhere to original court mandates directly prompted prosecutors to seek expanded spatial exclusions and an extended duration at Telford Magistrates’ Court.
Prediction: How This Development Can Affect Retailers, Store Staff, and the Public
The extension of this Criminal Behaviour Order until 2031 is expected to directly impact retail management, shop workers, and the general public across Telford and wider Shropshire.
For local supermarket staff and business owners, the updated order provides clear legal grounds to deny entry to a high-frequency offender across virtually all major grocery footprints in the area. Retail personnel are spared the direct burden of confronting known shoplifters without immediate law enforcement backing, as any verified presence of Jones inside the named stores constitutes an instant breach of court conditions, triggering prioritized police intervention.
For members of the public and local shoppers, the public release of Jones’s name, image, and order terms creates a community-watch dynamic. Shoppers who observe Jones inside banned premises can assist local police by reporting sightings directly via 101 or online reporting channels, aiding enforcement without engaging in direct confrontational actions.
For law enforcement agencies, successful enforcement of the expanded order will serve as a test case for controlling repeat retail crime in urban and suburban centers across the West Midlands. If compliance is achieved, it may lead to a higher frequency of multi-retailer exclusion applications by police forces targeting chronic retail theft throughout the region.
