Man banned from entering Northampton and Daventry town centres following 'persistent anti-social behaviour'

A man who was issued with a two-year criminal behaviour order last year has now been banned from entering Daventry and Northampton town centres.

Thomas Grizzell, of The Slade, Daventry, was handed the original order at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on May 19 last year, after police and local authority received numerous complaints about his persistent anti-social behaviour in and around Daventry town centre.

Police say, this behaviour included repeatedly sitting outside shops asking people for money, food, and cigarettes, stopping drivers in car parks across the town and at the McDonald’s Drive-Thru as well as loitering around cash machines.

Northamptonshire Police added that the 37-year-old targeted vulnerable lone females including children and the elderly.

The original criminal behaviour only focussed on the Daventry area, which enabled Grizzell to travel to Northampton to continue his anti-social behaviour, according to police.

Northampton Neighbourhood Policing and Northampton BID Teams recorded 13 incidents of persistent begging involving Grizzell in Northampton town centre, between July 13 last year and April 30 this year, so the force and West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) submitted a joint application at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on May 17, 2023 to change the original order’s conditions.

The revised criminal behaviour order states Grizzell must not:

• Unlawfully ask any person for food, money, cigarettes, or any other property anywhere in Northamptonshire
• Sit on the ground begging anywhere in Northamptonshire
• Have any unlawful uninvited engagement with people unknown to him anywhere in Northamptonshire
• Have any unlawful uninvited engagement with any occupants of vehicles, stationary or moving anywhere in Northamptonshire
• Enter Daventry town centre, within the area of St James Street, B4308, Western Avenue, A425 Southway, Abbey Street, Market Square, Church Lane, Tesco in New Street, including the car park and the recreational ground next to it, New Street, Oxford Street up to the junction of St James Street.
• Attend Wimborne Place, Daventry, within the area of Northern Way, Speke Drive, Wimborne Place including the neighbouring park and surrounding footpaths which leads under the bridge of Northern Way
• Attend the CO-OP in Ashby Road, Daventry, or be within 50 meters of the premise
• Enter Northampton town centre including the Grosvenor Shopping Centre, Abington Street, St Giles Square, St Giles Street and Fish Street

Inspector Beth Warren of Northampton Central Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “Grizzell is a prolific and aggressive beggar, usually targeting vulnerable lone females to intimidate them into giving him cigarettes and money, which is why we are pleased to see this order granted.

“By issuing details of the order along with his photograph, we can make shop workers and the public aware of the restrictions imposed and ask anyone who sees Grizzell breaking the terms of this criminal behaviour order to report it immediately to us by calling 101 so we can take further action.”

Councillor David Smith, West Northamptonshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Engagement, and Regulatory Services, added: "Aggressive begging causes concern for many people who use our town centres, particularly the vulnerable and elderly.

“The decision of the court this week demonstrates that we can take action to tackle these issues and our officers will continue to pursue cases like this to keep our residents safe and ensure that anti-social behaviour has no place in West Northamptonshire.”