DETECTIVES sealed off a property in Poole yesterday after a young woman was seriously assaulted.

Officers were called to the house on Bournemouth Road, Parkstone, at 8.15am following a report of an assault on a woman aged in her 20s.

The property, which is split into two flats, was cordoned off as officers carried out their investigation.

Police would only say: “The investigation is in its early stages and a cordon is in place for the examination of the scene.”

Police carried out door to door enquiries at around 10am yesterday and neighbours said they were asked if they had heard any disturbance.

Officers also spoke to nearby shops to see if they had any CCTV footage of the street.

Residents said police told them that the door to the upstairs flat had been kicked in and the female resident assaulted between the hours of 2am and 6am on Friday morning.

Neighbours hadn’t heard any disturbance, but told the Echo it wasn’t the first time police had visited the premises. An armed response vehicle was spotted outside within the last month, and the door is believed to have been kicked down at least once before in the past.

A near neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: “It’s a bit worrying – especially with two young kids in the house – my daughter’s window backs onto their driveway.”

David Forsdike, inset, sales assistant in Primera opposite the scene, said he saw a plain clothed officer walking up and down the road first thing.

“About two weeks ago we saw an armed response vehicle over there in the early afternoon with about six police officers milling about and looking around, but it wasn’t cordoned off at that point,” he added.