Wilby was caught with items like meat and desserts

A man who stole hundreds of pounds of items including meat from a Peterborough shop has been jailed. Edward Wilby, 36, went to a branch of M&S at the BP garage off Bretton Way seven times from January 27 to February 16.

Each time, he stole items from the shop by putting them in a bag and walking out without paying. On February 17, he went to Aldi in Flaxland, Bretton, where he stole meat worth hundreds of pounds.

With effective communication between stores via Disc, the police were able to arrest Wilby. Disc is an information sharing platform from Peterborough Positive, the city’s Business Improvement District.

Wilby was found by the Spree Offender Team carrying some of the stolen meat. Wilby, of no known address, admitted to eight counts of theft from a shop.

At Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, February 18, he was jailed for six months. He was also ordered to pay £549.70 in compensation.

PC Rebecca Risebrow, from the Spree Offender Team, said: “Wilby persistently stole from the same shop, taking hundreds of pounds worth of stock.

“He simply strolled in, filled a bag with what he wanted and walked out again.

“This kind of behaviour is incredibly frustrating for retail staff. We’re working closely with businesses to identify offenders and bring them before the courts.”

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The thief also stole a number of other items from different shops in the city.

A man has been jailed after stealing 29 chocolate bunnies from a supermarket. Jordan Cole, 36, stole the Lindt chocolate bunnies from Sainbury’s in Sidney Street, Cambridge, on Wednesday, January 28.

Between September 30 and January 24, Cole also stole a range of items from Cambridge shops. These included perfume from John Lewis, laundry products from B&M at the Beehive Centre, meat from Aldi, in Newmarket Road, and T-shirts from Hugo Boss, in Market Hill.

He also breached his criminal behaviour order (CBO) by entering the Aldi on Newmarket Road. At Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on Friday, January 30, Cole, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to 12 counts of theft and breaching a CBO.

He was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison and ordered to pay £300 in compensation.

PC Alex Thake, who investigated, said: “Cole’s series of thefts caused significant distress and upheaval for businesses and their employees. We take shoplifting offences seriously and will continue to work hard to bring offenders to justice.”

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The 46-year-old has been jailed for over a year.

A man who filmed in women’s toilets has been jailed. Alan Russell, 46, was reported to his bosses by a colleague in April 2025 after he followed her to the women’s toilet at their workplace in Huntingdon.

CCTV footage showed Russell waiting for the victim to close the cubicle door, before entering the toilets while filming on his phone. This was in breach of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) imposed by Lincolnshire Magistrates’ Court in July 2015 after Russell was convicted of multiple voyeurism offences.

Part of the SHPO forbade Russell from entering any female toilets, loitering within 10m of any public toilet, or entering any room that females use as a changing room.

The 46-year-old of Princes Street, Peterborough, admitted to voyeurism and breaching a SHPO at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday (February 5). He was sentenced to one year and six months in prison.

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He tried to cover up his crimes using fake WhatApp messages

A former head chef at a Michelin Star restaurant has narrowly going to prison after trying to cover up a sexual assault using a fake WhatsApp generator. Shannon White, 31, attacked a woman at the Chubby Castor in Peterborough Road, Castor, at around on October 18, 2024.

The victim, aged in her 20s, rejected his advances. White ignored her and put his hands around her neck, applied pressure, and whispered sexual comments. White sexually assaulted her, touching the victim several times and resisting her attempts to push him away.

After examining White’s phone, officers found he had used a fake WhatsApp generator to create a message pretending it had been sent by the victim to use as his defence.

At Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Monday, January 26, White, of Verde Close, Eye, near Peterborough, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for 12 months, after being found guilty of sexual assault by a judge. He has also been handed a two-year restraining order against the victim.

DC Stacey Caley, who investigated, said: “White shamefully attacked the victim and then used a fake app in an attempt to cover up his tracks.

“Although the sentence was not custodial, I hope it reassures the victim that justice has been done. It also highlights how seriously we take all allegations of violence against women and girls. If you or someone you know has been a victim, we urge you to get in touch.”

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