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A “prolific shoplifter” who has been convicted of stealing roughly £4,000 worth of beauty products from a Boots branch in the City of London has been banned from entering any branch of the chain in England and Wales. 

Michael Hayes, a 35-year-old man of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to 10 counts of theft at a Boots store in Moorgate. 

In addition to receiving a 22-week custodial sentence, Mr Mayes was handed a criminal behaviour order barring him from entering the capital’s Square Mile for three years and from entering Boots stores in England and Wales. 

Between May 7 and June 25 this year, Mr Hayes stole beauty, skincare and other products worth around £4,000 in total.

This included stealing 15 tubes of joint and back pain relief gel worth £173 on May 7 and returning the next day to steal £792 worth of products including skincare treatments and razor blade cartridges. 

Sergeant James Wood of the proactive acquisitive crime team at the City of London Police said: “We never view shop theft as a low-level crim, we understand the significant negative impact it has on businesses, employees and customers. 

“The proactive acquisitive crime team are committed to doing everything we can to catch criminals, ensuring people who live, work or visit the City are safe and feel safe, and offenders are brought before the courts. 

“Haye’s criminal behaviour order will prevent him from further criminality and help protect businesses and members of the public. 

“If he breaks the terms of the CBO, he could face further jail time.”

The police force publicised the verdict during Safer Business Action Week (SaBa), during which police officers are visiting businesses and liaising with security teams in a bid to prevent crime. 

In August this year the National Pharmacy Association revealed that 88 per cent of its members have seen a surge in shoplifting, with some contractors reporting that local police have shown little interest in investigating theft from their business. 

A week after this survey was published, NPA chair Olivier Picard’s own pharmacy was stolen from, with Thames Valley Police declining his request for officers to investigate the alleged crime despite CCTV footage of the shoplifter.