A man banned from every Asda and Co-op in England was jailed for 18 weeks after taking £182 of alcohol from Asda in Swanley, Kent Police said.

A man who was banned from every Asda and Co-op store in England has been jailed for 18 weeks after stealing alcohol from Asda in Swanley.

Ryan Brook, 37, of Cumbrian Avenue, Bexleyheath, went into the store on London Road on 21 September. He was the subject of a Criminal Behaviour Order at the time. Kent Police said the order banned him from entering any Asda or Co-op in England. (Kent Police, West Kent officers continue to target shoplifters, 14 October 2026)

What happened

According to the force:

  • Brook was caught on CCTV taking seven bottles of alcohol worth £182.
  • He left through a staff exit without paying.
  • A local security officer identified him, and he was arrested.

He was charged with theft and with breaching his Criminal Behaviour Order. He pleaded guilty to both at Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court on 28 September and was sentenced to 18 weeks’ imprisonment.

A west Kent crackdown

Kent Police published the case as part of what it calls an ongoing crackdown on shop theft in west Kent. Police Sergeant Nick Bottle said officers were building working relationships with store security teams and partner agencies.

“This enables us to identify prolific shoplifters more effectively, coordinate enforcement opportunities, and provide reassurance to staff,” he said.

This case is not connected to the attempted robbery of an 86-year-old man in the same store’s car park on 10 October. A 46-year-old Maidstone man has since been charged in that case: Swanley Asda knife robbery bid: man, 46, charged.

Reporting shop theft

Shop staff and witnesses can report a theft to Kent Police online or on 101. Call 999 if a crime is happening now or someone is in danger. (Kent Police, Report a crime)

Crime figures for the area are on our monthly Sevenoaks crime data page.

Sources

Image: Asda in Swanley, photo by DS Pugh, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph and Wikimedia Commons.