Lancaster shoplifter jailed and banned from city centre for five years

Friday, 15 August 2025 at 12:24

By Beyond Radio News

A man from Lancaster has been sent to prison and banned from entering the city centre for five years after being convicted of shoplifting offences.

Lee Mullen, aged 38, and of no fixed address, appeared before Lancaster Magistrates Court last week, and was sentenced to six weeks imprisonment for the shoplifting offences, and handed a five year Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO), which bans his from entering Lancaster city centre as bound by the one way system, except for any pre-arranged appointments with doctors or solicitors which must be evidenced to police more than 24 hours in advance.

The order also prohibits him from entering Aldi on Morecambe Road, Lancaster and Sainsburys in Morecambe.

Mullen was also handed an 18 week sentence for a separate offence of theft from a person and making a false representation.

Sergeant Lindsay Brown of Lancaster and Morecambe’s Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “Shoplifting is not a victimless crime and it has a significant impact on local businesses and the communities they serve.

"Through Operation Vulture, we will continue to work with our partners in the fight against shop theft, relentlessly pursuing shoplifters to ensure they are brought before the courts and held accountable for their actions.”

Operation Vulture is Lancashire Constabulary’s response to shoplifting across the county, backed by Lancashire's Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw.

The operation sees dedicated officers undertaking hotspot patrolling, increasing their visibility in targeted areas and creating strong partnerships with retailers across the county to better share intelligence, get a deeper understanding of retail crime and identify more offenders.

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