Behave or face a town centre ban

Business partnership gets tough on thugs

OFFENDERS are being banned from entering shops and pubs in Oldham by a partnership cracking down on crime.

The Oldham Against Business Crime partnership between businesses, police and Oldham Council has launched an initiative to exclude wrongdoers from any establishment that is a member.

The Exclusion Order Scheme (EOS) targets a range of offenders — from shoplifters to those involved in alcohol-related violence.

So far, 23 people have been excluded from members’ premises.

The scheme is generally used to target persistent offenders, although a zero-tolerance approach is being taken for dealing with those involved in violence and drug-related crime.

Police photographs of those who have been excluded are being issued to businesses, enabling them to identify the offender and enforce the orders. Anyone who breaches the order could be made the subject of an Anti-Social Behaviour Order.

Partnership chairman Paul Hughes, owner of Zutti Co, said: “I wholeheartedly support the exclusion scheme. In my view the message is very simple — behave or be banned.”

Oldham Pub Watch chairman Caroline Davanzo, manager of the Squire Knott in Yorkshire Street, said, “The scheme makes it very clear that the businesses of Oldham town centre will not tolerate any disorderly behaviour.

“Hopefully, by excluding those who misbehave, we can help to make the town centre a safer and more pleasant place to be — all day and all night.”

Oldham Against Business Crime was launched by the Business Improvement District Company (BID) in 2007.

EOS is the latest of a number of initiatives currently been developed by the partnership and will be implemented alongside the town centre’s radio schemes, intelligence-sharing sessions, and Anti-Social Behaviour Order project.

BID business crime officer Tom Walley, said: “The launch of the exclusion scheme is a major development for the partnership. The businesses are providing large amounts of intelligence about offenders who are committing crime, and we are starting to use this information in some very positive ways.

“Clamping down on crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour is something that we are determined to do, especially when our businesses are facing such challenging times in the current economic climate.”