By Ian Austen ian.austen@essnmedia.co.uk

A trouble-maker described by police as "a thorn in the side" of town centre shops has been banned from many of them as part of an initiative to combat shoplifting and anti-social behaviour.

Patrick White is the first person to fall foul of the Croydon Business Crime Reduction Partnership (CBCP).

Members of the group - which is made up of traders, the police, the owners of the shopping centres and Croydon Business Improvement District - are now keeping in close contact over anyone behaving anti-socially.

And anybody banned three times from different members' premises will face a virtual blanket ban from the town centre.

The official exclusion order served on 35-year-old White, who lives in central Croydon, by police means he is banned from all of the Whitgift and Centrale shopping centres, apart from those stores who aren't in the partnership.

He is also banned from Allders, Argos and NCP's multi-storey car parks, all of whom are signed up to the scheme.

Town centre police inspector Simon Ellingham said: "All parties believe this action is necessary and justified to prevent Mr White from re-offending in their stores.

"He has been arrested on numerous occasions in the last 12 months and recently was prevented by staff in Argos from stealing a number of items."

If White ignores the exclusion order he faces the prospect of receiving an ASBO from the courts.

Insp Ellingham added: "Mr White has been a thorn in the side of many shops and they have suffered losses through his thefts.

"It is hoped this more direct approach will convince him, and others, that Croydon town centre is not going to accept this type of behaviour any more."

Whitgift Centre director Andrew Bauer says the "three strikes and you're out" policy applies not only to shoplifters but anyone else involved in anti-social behaviour.

He said: "These people tend to move in close circles and it won't take long for the message to go out."

Mr Bauer hopes the initial success will encourage smaller retailers to sign up to the scheme, further expanding the area from which offenders can be banned.