Thief banned from large part of Coventry city centre

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A PERSISTENT thief whose mum was among his victims has been banned from a large part of the city to try to curb his offending.

Raymond Randle has been told by a court that Willenhall - his favoured hunting ground in Coventry - is now off limits to him for at least the next three years.

The 21-year-old's no-go zone prohibits him from entering the area bordered by London Road, Allard Way, Brabdon Road and the A46.

Posters and leaflets have been distributed to houses and shops in the area to encourage members of the public to report any sightings of him to police.

And if he breaches his Criminal Anti-Social Behaviour Order (CRASBO) handed down by magistrates last Wednesday he faces a sizeable fine or even up to five years in prison.

PC Steve Jeffery said: "Randle has been a thorn in the side of residents in the Willenhall and Ermesford area for several years now, stealing from homes and vehicles.

"This order bans him from areas he is familiar with and where he feels comfortable offending; he has to understand that police and the community will not tolerate his offending and if he ignores the ban he can expect to be jailed."

The CRASBO comes on the back of a long line of offences, the latest of which saw Randle sneak into his own mother's Willenhall home on January 4 and steal her vacuum cleaner. He was arrested two days later and, after admitting theft,

was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison.

It was the last straw for neighbourhood police officers who then successfully applied to Coventry Magistrates' Court for the order which, in addition to banning him from Willenhall, also bans him from mixing with eight named troublemakers.