Sledgehammer raiders attempted to smash their way into a Bournemouth convenience store in the early hours.

Two men were captured on CCTV trying to hammer their way into the Chaos Corner shop, Ashley Road, Springbourne, around 3.10am on Thursday.

Shocked shopkeeper Gillian Brewster, who believes her store was cased out on Wednesday evening, told the Daily Echo: "It is just so frightening to know this has happened, to see them on CCTV with the sledgehammers.

"This area has changed so much over the years."

Despite their attempts to get in, the raiders fled empty handed. However, Mrs Brewster says she's been left with a repair bill likely to run into the thousands of pounds.

And the botched raid comes at an emotional time for Mrs Brewster - she's currently organising a charity event in memory of her brother who died earlier this year following a road accident near Darby's Corner in Poole.

"It has been a tough year so far," she said. "I honestly don't know how I feel at the moment.

"I've run this shop for 34 years and nothing has happened like this - but the area has progressively got worse.

"There is a lot of drug dealing around here and I have had fights in the shop - but the only time I see the police is when they want to check my CCTV because something has happened in the area."

Mrs Brewster said police still hadn't arrived at her shop more than four hours after she called them.

"There just isn't enough police anymore," she added. "My parents bought this shop in 1972 but the area was a lot better then."

Mrs Brewster was asleep at the time of Thursday's raid, and it wasn't until 6.40am when a family member was passing that the alarm was raised.

"When I saw the mess I immediately called the police. To think I've worked the whole of my life, never been a burden on anyone, but the police haven't bothered to turn up yet and I called more than four hours ago."