A PROLIFIC offender from Chester has been handed a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) after he left a community living in fear.

Sanctuary and Cheshire Constabulary joined forces to take action following repeated instances of anti-social behaviour and intimidation of residents at one of Sanctuary’s high-rise blocks for people aged over 55, where the man’s mother lives.

An injunction had originally been placed on the mother and her son, but this was continually breached, leading to stronger measures having now been put in place.

While the man was on trial for other offences, the judge handed out the CBO banning him indefinitely from Chester city centre and surrounding areas, as well as from all sheltered accommodation in Cheshire West and Chester without written permission.

A housing officer for Sanctuary worked closely with the police’s problem solving team to gather evidence and obtain witness statements.

Sanctuary’s area manager Sue Cadwaladr said: “Thanks to the efforts of our housing officer and the local police, we have been able to end this blight on residents’ lives and send out a strong message that anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated.

“This is a great example of effective joint working which has resulted in the right outcome for our residents.”

A spokesperson for Cheshire Constabulary added: “We are pleased that this order has been secured via the courts and will continue to work with Sanctuary to make sure people feel safe in their homes.

“CBOs are preventative orders with strict restrictions that are imposed in a bid to stop persistent offenders committing further crimes. They are applied for separately to prosecutions for criminal offences as a last resort, and we are pleased to say that we have seen a significant reduction of offending in Cheshire from those who are subject to a CBO.

“It is an offence to breach the terms of a CBO. The sanctions imposed for doing so can be severe, with the maximum penalty being five years in prison.”