Students at Shoeburyness High School have been banned from using a local convenience store to end a spate of shoplifting.

The ban at the Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society store in West Road was put in place with the blessing of the Caulfield Road school to end the pilfering.

Keith Norman, deputy headteacher, said: "The ban was imposed at our suggestion. It is an approach that affects the innocent as well as the guilty but it was also the way the company wanted to approach it.

Banned : The Co-op store Picture: Rob Browne

"It reflects extremely badly on the school."

Mr Norman said the school identified a pupil it believed was responsible for the shoplifting spree. He was dealt with by police and faced disciplinary measures by the school.

However, a Chelmsford Star spokesperson said the stealing had been rife.

Vanessa Howard said: "The ban was imposed because the store had a problem with gangs of children stealing goods and taking them back to the school and selling them.

"We are proposing to lift the ban from next Monday, May 5, but no more than two children will be allowed in at any one time and they will have to leave their bags outside the store. This stipulation will remain until further notice."

Mr Norman said: "A young lad who is totally trustworthy like the majority of our students, went into the shop absent-mindedly and was asked to leave. He was quite annoyed, quite rightly because this has happened because of one person."

The school says it took the decision not to exclude the pupil because he is due to take exams.

Mr Norman added: "It is not easy to suspend pupils these days and in exam years it makes it impossible.

"Obviously we took sanctions so he was punished by the school as well as the police."

Published Tuesday, April 29, 2003

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