A BOURNEMOUTH restaurant owner is warning Lansdowne residents and business owners to be on their guard after she was burgled.

Alex de Freitas and her staff at Good Food by Alex had just finished their most successful day in seven years when a thief, thought to have hidden in the toilets during a party, swiped nearly £1,500 from the till and tips jar.

And after a group of men threatened to "cut up" a neighbour outside her flat, she says she fears crime and disorder in the area are on the rise.

"When we first moved here there were a lot of problems but the police have done wonders cleaning up the streets," she said.

"But it seems to be creeping back, I think it is due to a lack of police resources. The 101 calls take far too long and I don't even feel safe calling 999 - will I get a quick response?

"Most of my team here are women, we feel increasingly insecure.

"The person who did this is still out there and could come back."

Ms de Freitas said she had been frightened to learn that the burglar had been hiding in the shop while she was clearing up at the end of the day.

She said her fears had only increased after an incident last month in which a group of men had threatened a neighbour and friend of hers in the block of flats where she lives, near to the restaurant in Lansdowne Road.

A Dorset Police spokesman said no one had been arrested in connection with the burglary - which occurred between 1.30-9.30am on Sunday, January 11.

Central Bournemouth Neighbourhood Inspector Heather Dixey said policing in Lansdowne had not been affected by cuts, with PCSOs patrolling the area six times a day and Operation Earth launched to target antisocial behaviour.

"Anti-social behaviour such as littering and graffiti in the Lansdowne area has reduced by almost 60 per cent in the last year, and issues with nuisance anti-social behaviour like begging has reduced by almost 13 per cent in the last 12 months," she said.

"However we are not complacent and are very focussed on tackling crime and anti-social behaviour throughout Bournemouth."

Contact officers with information on the burglary or with any concerns about crime and antisocial behaviour via 101.