Mum of boy, 14, banned from UK town until May 2025 says what son is really like – slams police

Steve Hopkins

Keylan Evans’ mother has called West Mercia Police’s decision to publish her son’s picture, ‘disgusting’

The mum of a schoolboy banned from an entire UK town for three years has spoken out, saying her “lovely” boy is now being “bullied and disrespected” after police published his picture online which makes her “feel ashamed and upset as a mum”.

West Mercia Police (WMP) this week published Keylan Evan’s picture and details of a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) that was imposed on the 14-year-old by Worcester Magistrates’ Court banning him from Kidderminster until May 2025 for “causing a significant amount of distress and harassment to local businesses, members of the public, and the wider community”.

The force has since deleted a press release about the order, having defended posting the story on Facebook, saying that the courts permit it to “put photos out” so that “members of the public recognise the subject of the order, and can tell us if they have breached their conditions”. Members of the public had been highly critical of the force in the comments sections.

Keylan’s mother, Kelly Evans, told Metro that her son, who lives with his parents and two brothers in Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire, and is a “lovely” boy, is now being “bullied and disrespected” because of the details of the order being published.

“It’s just disgusting and it makes me feel ashamed and upset as a mum,” she told the publication of WMP’s decision to publish her son’s details.

Evans said her son is “very easily led because he wants to make friends” and is “quite vulnerable” because he has ADHD.

She said Keylan is “helpful and supportive” at home and has a “good heart” but “sometimes he can struggle to control his emotions”.

Evans said moving from the area will help her son: “He will be in a different area with different people and he can make new friends. I don’t care where we move, the kids want to leave as well.”

Evans criticised police for publishing her son’s picture and claimed social services had also complained to WMP, but they have not confirmed as much.

“The police apologised but they put it back on 45 minutes later. Children’s Services phoned West Mercia Police four times saying it shouldn’t be on social media but it’s still on there.”

In the original press release, WMP sergeant Daniel Townsend said it was hoped the order “will hopefully prevent him (Keylan) from acting in this manner in the future. I hope the CBO provides reassurance to the local community that the police will take positive action in these situations.”

The order prevents Keylan from being in a group of more than three people in public aside from his immediate family and further restrictions were placed on his behaviour and communications, though the exact details were not published.

WMP’s post about Keylan was met with criticism and concern for the teenager.

One person wrote: “What are you doing to safeguard this child? How is posting his photo and address online supposed to help him? This is disgraceful. I understand his crimes are likely serious for this order to have been put in place, but this is a child who needs support and guidance.”

Another said: “This is shocking. No matter what he has done he is a child. This completely goes against all safeguarding guidance.”

The force later posted a comment in response to the criticism, explaining how CBOs work and their right to publicise them.

The message read: “A CBO is only effective if we know when it is breached. ‘The reason we are permitted by the courts to put photos out with Criminal Behaviour Orders is so that members of the public recognise the subject of the order, and can tell us if they have breached their conditions.

“Worcester Magistrates’ Court placed no restrictions on informing the public of this person’s name and CBO conditions, but on consideration of his age we have turned off comments on this post.”

A spokesperson for Worcestershire Children First told Metro “We continue to work collaboratively with West Mercia Police in order to ensure children and young people are safeguarded.”

When asked for comment WMP referred JOE back to its earlier comment on Facebook.