Gary Bloor, a 43-year-old man from Northwich, Cheshire, with a staggering 250 criminal convictions, has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison after a two-month shoplifting spree. Bloor, who has spent more than half his life behind bars, was subject to a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) that explicitly banned him from wearing hats, caps, or face coverings in public, as well as from entering retail premises in the CW8 and CW9 postcode areas without staff permission.
Bloor's Latest Crime Spree
Between March 7 and May 10, 2026, Bloor stole goods worth £2,184.18 from various shops, including a haul of £1,883.86 from Boots. Items stolen included electric toothbrushes, electrical goods, cosmetics, razor blades, washing products, meat, and food. During these thefts, he was seen wearing a flat cap, but staff recognized him. He also burgled a pharmacy till just months after being released from a previous prison sentence for shoplifting.
At Chester Crown Court, Bloor pleaded guilty to 15 counts of shoplifting, 15 breaches of a criminal behaviour order, burglary, dangerous driving, and driving without a licence or insurance. Judge Patrick Thompson remarked: "This was a multitude of offences, committed in the various shops and premises. I am told that you have a difficulty with addiction to drugs - but you also seem to have a difficulty with obeying the law."
The Criminal Behaviour Order
The CBO, imposed on June 12, 2023, by Cheshire magistrates for five years, prohibited Bloor from entering any retail premises in the CW8 or CW9 postcodes without notifying staff and asking permission to shop. It also banned him from wearing any head or face covering in the same area of Northwich and from entering stores such as Iceland and the Co-op. Despite this, Bloor was seen entering a B&M at Northwich Retail Park, where he took two electric toothbrushes and concealed them in his coat before leaving without paying, while wearing a flat cap.
Prosecutor Shannon Stewart stated: "That offence would have placed the defendant in breach of the criminal behaviour order and he was seen wearing a flat cap which would have concealed his identity. He also did not ask permission to shop."
Bloor's Criminal History and Drug Addiction
Bloor has been in and out of prison since the start of the Millennium, preying on shops in Northwich to feed a drug habit. His barrister, Oliver King, explained that Bloor's addiction escalated after his 18-month-old son died in February 2014. King said: "He has spent 25 years of his life in and out of prison. It is a constant revolving door. When his prescription is managed and he stays off illicit drugs he has in the past demonstrated that he can stay offence free." King added that up until May 2025, Bloor received the right amount of methadone and did not need to steal, but when the prescription was withdrawn, he returned to theft.
PC Jack Kirkbride of Northwich Local Policing Unit said: "Bloor is a prolific offender who has absolutely no regard for the law and has shown no remorse for his actions. Despite several previous convictions, and multiple prison sentences, he never seems to learn his lesson. Therefore, until he does, we will have no option but to keep arresting him and putting him before the courts."
Community Impact and Police Response
Inspector Paul Healey emphasized: "Shoplifting is not a victimless crime, and we are committed to doing all we can to protect our local businesses. I hope that the sentence handed to Bloor will provide some reassurance to the community and act as a warning to anyone else planning to shoplift in Cheshire."
Bloor's latest spree included seven raids on Boots stores and three on Co-op shops, stealing high-value fragrances, electric toothbrushes, razors, steaks, chocolate, and even Fairy Liquid. In April 2025, he was jailed for six months for theft and breaching the CBO. Judge Thompson noted that the CBO was made to protect shops, adding: "What you have done is to completely ignore that and continued to go into these shops. You are still stealing from those shops, making it difficult for those people to make a living."
