BUSINESSES in Dorchester say they feel 'totally abandoned' by police as a spate of break-ins continues in the town.

As reported in the Echo nine businesses were burgled in the space of a week. Sine then four more businesses have been hit. 

Two people have been arrested in relation to one burglary but enquiries in to the rest remain ongoing.

Calls are now being made to increase safety and CCTV in the county town.

Meghann Gibbons, manager of COOK located in the Tudor Arcade arrived at work last Monday (Feb 6) to find her businesses had been broken in to.

She she has spoken to Dorchester BID and the maintenance teams at the Arcade about CCTV.

Another business manager in the town who had her business targeted said that since the reported break-ins there has been little police presence in the area.

She said: "We feel totally abandoned by the police."

But Dorset Police are continuing to reassure the businesses and are directing owners to the crime prevention help and advice on the website. 

Phil Gordon of Dorchester BID said: "I have written a letter to the Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill and I have made it very clear that were are all concerned about this hopefully temporary upsurge of crime in the town.

"To extend the CCTV in Dorchester to all the side-streets and the arcade would cost hundreds of thousands of pounds and would just not be possible in the budget. 

"At the BID we are currently working with police to put together a checklist for businesses in the town to show what they should and can be doing to help themselves and to help Dorset Police secure convictions.

"There isn't a chance that the CCTV in Dorchester is going to get upgraded, it's not a reality. But I do believe that as a business community we can all do a lot more than what we are doing."

A spokesman for Dorset Police said: "COOK in the Tudor Arcade was broken in to overnight on Sunday, February 5.

"Mortimers on South Street was broken in to overnight on Wednesday, February 8 and it was reported that cash was stolen. 

"Dave Cumber Vets on Mellstock Avenue was reported to us on Saturday, February 11. Again this happened overnight on Friday, February 10. Some cash was taken.

"And there was an attempted break-in to the Celtic Kitchen Pasty Shop on Antelope Walk on the same evening - overnight on Friday February 10."

Dorset Police confirmed that two people have been arrested in connection to the break-in at COOK. A 31-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman both from Poole have been released on bail until the end of March.

Investigations into the other burglaries in the town are still ongoing and no other arrests have been made. 

For further crime prevention advice visit dorset.police.uk/help-advice-crime-prevention/crime-prevention-help-advice/ 

Anyone with any information on the burglaries should contact Dorset Police on 101.