Police issue seven civil orders after West Lancashire shoplifting operation
Police have issued seven civil orders and charged a Liverpool man with five shop theft offences after a co-ordinated operation targeting suspected prolific shoplifters.
West Lancashire Neighbourhood Policing officers and the Task Force carried out the intelligence-led activity on Wednesday, 22 July 2026. The suspects are believed to travel into West Lancashire to commit offences before returning to addresses in Merseyside and Greater Manchester.
Working with neighbouring police forces, officers searched a number of residential addresses outside Lancashire. The searches were intended to gather evidence, recover stolen property and identify possible links to wider criminality.
The operation followed information provided by members of the public, retailers and local communities.
Andrew Kelly, 50, of Grey Road, Liverpool, has been charged with five counts of shop theft. He has been released on bail and is due to appear at Preston Magistrates’ Court on 13 August 2026.
PC Dave Fairclough, of West Lancashire’s Neighbourhood Policing Team, said:
“As part of Operation Vulture, our countywide crackdown on retail crime, we are continuing to work closely with neighbouring forces, acting on information from the public, identifying suspects, pursuing offenders and disrupting criminal activity.We would like to thank everyone who continues to report information to us.Community intelligence is vital in helping us tackle retail crime and keep West Lancashire safe.”
Operation Vulture is Lancashire Constabulary’s countywide response to shoplifting, combining targeted patrols with intelligence-sharing and work with retailers.
Anyone with information about shoplifting or suspicious activity can report it to police on 101 or through the Lancashire Constabulary website. Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
