A man has been jailed for four months after breaking into a venue and stealing £400 worth of drinks.

Scott Pugh, 51, has been handed a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) for street drinking and foul language at Teesside Magistrates Court, while he has also been sentenced to four months in prison for burglary.

Pugh, of no fixed abode, was handed the sentence after he broke into ARC Stockton on January 16 and stole drinks worth more than £400.

A repeat offender of anti-social behaviour in Stockton Town Centre, he was issued the CBO after continuously breaching the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) in place around the town centre.

Carolyn Nice, the Council’s Director of Adults, Health and Wellbeing, said: “Our message is clear, we will not tolerate unacceptable behaviour like Mr Pugh’s. The town centre is for everyone to enjoy and anyone who behaves like this will face punishment.

“Mr Pugh’s repeat offending was causing distress to people visiting the town and to our town centre businesses who were having to deal with the consequences of his actions on a regular basis. We have worked with Cleveland Police and Stockton BID to secure this two year order.

"Please continue to report any anti-social behaviour concerns you have to our Civic Enforcement team, who can be reached on 01642 528439 or by emailing civic.enforcement@stockton.gov.uk."

A Stockton Borough Council spokesperson said the PSPO was introduced by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council to help prevent anti-social behaviour for aggressive begging and street drinking.  

They said Pugh’s regular breaches included alcohol use within the town centre, anti-social behaviour, verbal abuse towards enforcement officers and police staff, as well as shoplifting.

His CBO remains in place for two years.

 Chief Inspector Dan Heron, from Stockton’s Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Pugh is a prolific offender who believes he is above the law. 

“While he sits in prison for a few months, we must make plans to prevent his offending when he is ultimately released.

“The criminal behaviour order is one tool we can use as a deterrent but also to aggravate and increase any sentencing he gets in the future. 

“This is part of our continued commitment to make Stockton and the town centre an even safer place for people who live, work and visit the area. We are not going to stop here, we know there are a cohort of similar offenders and they are in our sights.”

Jason Maxwell, Manager at Stockton BID, said: “This successful prosecution highlights the effectiveness of our collaborative efforts in Stockton.

“Our Crime Partnership, involving local enforcement, the Council, police and local businesses has been instrumental in addressing disruptive behaviour.

“We stand united with local businesses in our commitment to fostering a welcoming atmosphere in the town centre. This sends a strong message that we do not tolerate anti-social behaviour and are prepared to take action. Thank you to all the partners involved for their tireless work towards achieving this outcome.”