Birmingham rioters could be banned from the city’s shops for an undecided length of time after looters caused carnage there last week.

This follows Manchester’s decision to exclude convicted rioters from its shops for two years.

Under plans being discussed by Birmingham Retail Crime Operation and West Midlands Police, convicted looters would be barred from retailers that belong to the private, 1,000-member organisation, including all shops in the Bullring, and stores including Marks & Spencer, Bhs and HMV. So far 500 arrests have been made in Birmingham.

The organisation usually imposes a one-year ban for repeat shoplifters under a civil exclusion scheme. But co-ordinator Mick Barnes said longer bans were being considered. Stores would share information and photos of convicted rioters. “Retailers are supportive,” he said. “Shop staff are entitled to go to work and not be intimidated.”

Fashion retailer Republic, which has stores in the Bullring and Manchester’s Arndale Centre, supports the ban. Chief operating officer Guy Critchlow said: “It’s a signal that that behaviour is unacceptable both to retailers and customers.”

However, Kevin Breese, general manager of Birmingham’s Harvey Nichols store, which was badly hit, said: “The sentiment is right but it’s probably unenforceable.”

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