OPERATION PARAGON – Court Result Stephen COWSILL issued a CBO

The city centre neighbourhood team are well aware that there are a small number of adult individuals who loiter in the city centre, get drunk/ take drugs and causing antisocial behaviour, ruining our city centre for those that work here, who have to see it day in day out. It is also giving a bad image of the city centre for those who come to visit, with many people reporting the behaviour making them feel uncomfortable and unsafe. PC Shaun Foster and PC Sian SEDDON, the City Centre Community Beat Managers spearhead Operation Paragon, which is Lancasters approach to tackling this unwanted behaviour. This runs alongside the Lancashire Police county wide Operation Centurion which tackles all types of antisocial behaviour. 

Rest assured these individuals are targeted at every opportunity. Most of the individuals have been issued Community Protection Notices prohibiting them form having alcohol, being drunk or drugged, or causing ASB in the city centre. When the individuals breach their Notice, they are prosecuted at the Magistrates Court as it is a criminal offence. For those individuals who continue to breach their Notice, the police try to convince the courts that a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) is imposed – this is a court order which carries more weight and can lead to imprisonment if breached.

On Monday 20th October 2025, Lancaster Magistrates Court heard that Stephen COWSILL, 52 years old of no fixed abode Lancaster, had been committing numerous shopliftings in the city centre and the rest of the city. They also heard that COWSILL has been causing a nuisance to businesses and the public through his drunken behaviour, especially in the city centre.

The magistrates issued a 6 month prison sentence, however suspended it for 12 months due to a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and ordered COWSILL to attend alcohol treatment through the Probation Service for 6 months.

The courts heard PC Shaun Foster’s CBO application where he put evidence to the court of the constant anti-social behaviour that COWSILL was committing in the city centre and how it was having a detrimental impact on the businesses and the local community. The magistrates agreed with PC Foster’s request and issued a CBO to COWSILL, prohibiting him from entering Lancaster City Centre for two years. 

On Thursday 23rd October 2025, Lancaster Magistrates Court heard that COWSILL had breached his CBO after being found by PC SEDDON in the city centre and arrested and remanded to court. The magistrates found COWSILL guilty and sentenced him to a further suspended sentence of 12 months.

PC Foster says “It is great when the courts support us in making Lancaster City Centre a nicer place by issuing CBOs to those who commit unruly behaviour that ruins it for everyone else, sending a strong message that this type of behaviour won’t be tolerated. Although COWSILL hasn’t been imprisoned for his first breach, as we have seen with other individuals who breach their CBOs, it is only a matter of time if the individual doesn’t learn to not breach his prohibitions.”