A MAN has been banned from all Boots and Marks & Spencer stores in Dorset.

Christopher Nicholas Gentle has been made subject to a criminal behaviour order for three years.

This came through an application from Dorset Police after he was convicted for two offences of theft last month.

Gentle, aged 60 and of no fixed abode, received a 12-month community order at a hearing on August 12 after he stole £1,000 from a vehicle and four Jack Wills bags from Boots in Commercial Road, both in Bournemouth.

The defendant was due to be back before the courts in Poole on Friday, September 9, where magistrates considered whether to make the criminal behaviour order.

However, he did not attend and the hearing went ahead in his absence, with the bench issuing the three-year order.

The prohibitions included not entering any Boots or Marks & Spencer in Dorset, not entering an area of Bournemouth town centre as defined by a map and not to remain in any shop, commercial or hospitality premises in Dorset if asked to leave by staff.

A spokesperson for the Bournemouth Central Neighbourhood Policing Team said: "We recognise the impact that offending of this nature has on businesses and we will explore all options to ensure additional measures are put in place to deter future crimes being committed.

"This includes compiling evidence to secure a criminal behaviour order, which prohibits Christopher Gentle from returning to the stores where he has previously offended.

"If Gentle breaches the terms of this order, he can be arrested and brought back before the court."

Criminal behaviour orders were first introduced in 2014 as a replacement for the anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) and the drinking banning order (DBO). They can be imposed by crown, magistrates' and youth courts, with the aim of tackling series and persistent offenders.