A prolific thief has been banned from an entire Lancashire village and jailed again—just weeks after being released from prison for shoplifting.
Arrested again after eight more thefts
Simon Ferguson, 35, of Ferndale in Skelmersdale, had only recently served a sentence for a string of shoplifting offences across West Lancashire when he was caught reoffending. He was arrested on Tuesday for a further eight shoplifting incidents and hauled back before magistrates the very next day.
Jailed again—and hit with strict ban
Ferguson was handed a five-month prison sentence and slapped with a strict Criminal Behaviour Order banning him from entering several specific areas notorious for repeat retail crime.
Shut out of shops and entire village
Under the order, Ferguson is now prohibited from entering:
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The village of Dalton
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The Concourse Shopping Centre in Skelmersdale
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Shell petrol station on Grimshaw Road
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Digmoor Parade Shopping Precinct
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Any retail premises in Parbold
Police: ‘We won’t tolerate this’
Sergeant Newman from West Lancashire Police said: “This is a really positive result. The CBO gives us stronger powers to deal with Ferguson if he reoffends once released. We will not tolerate shoplifting in West Lancashire and we’ll continue to take a robust approach to offenders.”
He thanked the local business community for their support, saying the evidence they provided was crucial in securing the conviction.
Targeted crackdown under Operation Vulture
Ferguson’s arrest is part of Operation Vulture—a dedicated campaign to clamp down on shoplifting across Lancashire. The initiative includes regular patrols, close work with retailers, and a zero-tolerance approach to serial offenders like Ferguson.
