Prolific Shoplifter Banned from All BP and Shell Garages in Essex for Five Years
- Catch A Thief UK
- Aug 2
- 2 min read
Prolific Shoplifter Banned from All BP and Shell Garages in Essex for Five Years
A serial shoplifter has been jailed and handed a five-year ban from all BP and Shell garages across Essex following a string of thefts in Epping Forest and Brentwood.
Joseph Seymour, 28, of no fixed address, was sentenced to 12 months in prison by Southend Magistrates’ Court on 23 July after pleading guilty to 11 counts of shop theft totalling nearly £2,900. The court also imposed a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO), preventing him from entering any BP or Shell garage in Essex until 2030. In addition, he was ordered to pay a £187 victim surcharge.
The charges followed a detailed investigation by the Epping Forest Neighbourhood Policing Team. Seymour was arrested on his birthday, 21 July, by an officer from the Brentwood Local Policing Team—just ten minutes after reports came in of a theft from Boots on Brentwood High Street, where £1,500 worth of skincare products had been stolen.
Seymour also admitted to stealing £1,279.32 worth of goods from the BP garage in The Broadway, Debden, across nine separate incidents between 14 and 25 May. Additionally, he confessed to the theft of £89.10 worth of alcohol from the Shell garage in Epping High Street.
Retail crime continues to place a heavy burden on local businesses, with losses running into the billions nationally each year. It not only drives up prices for honest customers but also endangers staff and erodes community safety. Persistent offenders like Seymour often target the same businesses repeatedly, causing financial and emotional strain on those who work there.
Investigating officer PC Amber Forrow said:
“Joseph Seymour is a prolific offender, but our teams acted swiftly to bring him to justice. With high-quality CCTV footage and strong witness statements, we were able to secure a criminal behaviour order to protect staff and businesses he repeatedly targeted.
“We hope this result provides reassurance to shop workers and the wider community—knowing that he faces further imprisonment if he breaches the terms of the ban.”
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