Edward Higginson – Birkenhead

A Birkenhead man has been issued with a three-year Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO), banning him from entering parts of Woodchurch and certain supermarkets.

Edward Higginson, 52, of no fixed abode, was handed the CBO at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on Friday (12 December).

It was issued after Higginson was jailed for 12 weeks on 26 November for assaulting a shop worker and three shoplifting incidents.

Higginson’s offending mainly took place on Hoole Road, Woodchurch where incidents included public order offences, assaulting a shop worker, abuse towards shop staff in several shops, shoplifting, allegations of drunken and nuisance behaviour in the area, abuse of police officers and the assault of a police officer after he spat in the officer’s face.

The CBO, which expires on December 11 2028, stipulates that Higginson is prohibited from:

• Entering a defined area of the Woodchurch estate, specifically the Public Spaces Protection Order area on Hoole Road
• Entering the Asda store or its car park in Woodchurch or Sainsbury’s in Upton

Local Policing Inspector Sharon Robinson said: “Criminal Behaviour Orders are extremely effective and should Higginson breach the conditions of this order upon his release from prison, he will be arrested, returned to court and may be returned to jail.

“This CBO is the result of sustained work by officers and partners to tackle behaviour that has had a real impact on the community and sends a clear message that persistent anti-social and criminal behaviour will not be tolerated

“I hope this CBO is reassuring to not only staff and customers in our local supermarkets in Woodchurch and Upton but also the wider public as it shows how seriously we take retail crime and anti-social behaviour.

“As part of our Winter of Action, officers have been carrying out targeted patrols and enforcement activity to protect residents and businesses. We are listening to the concerns of shop workers and residents and taking firm action where individuals continue to cause harm.

“The neighbourhood policing team will continue to seek similar orders against those who cause harm to our communities, and I encourage any members of the public who witness Higginson breaching his CBO or committing offences to report this to Merseyside Police by calling us on 101.”

Woodchurch falls within the EVOLVE Wirral area – one of Merseyside’s four Clear, Hold, Build operations designed by the Home Office to rebuild neighbourhoods worst affected by serious and organised crime.

The initiative sees police working with partners and residents to disrupt and deter organised crime groups and help create positive change in these neighbourhoods.

Anyone with information on criminality can contact Merseyside Police social media desk via X Merseyside Police Contact Centre or on Facebook ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’. You can also report information via our website: https://orlo.uk/AH3dU or call 101.

Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously by calling on 0800 555 11, or by making an online report here: https://orlo.uk/gxnXR

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