A MAN followed a burglar through the streets of Bournemouth on Sunday night after a café close to his home was raided twice in three hours.

The 27-year-old, of West Hill Road, tailed the hooded thief after a neighbour spotted him raiding the Jungle Café at around 7pm and 11pm.

Police then cornered and arrested the burglar at a property nearby.

The raid at the café was one of three burglaries committed during the same evening, with Shwan Barbershop in Richmond Hill and Tapas Plus in Bourne Avenue also targeted.

Money was stolen from the till in each case.

The good Samaritan said a neighbour alerted him to each of the burglaries at the café. During the first, the offender used a ladder he found at a nearby property to climb through a window. In the second incident, he shinned up a drainpipe to access the same window.

"The first time, I saw the till smashed on the floor with loose change around," he said.

"Three hours later, I got a phone call from the same neighbour saying the burglar was back.

"It looked like he'd come back for the loose change."

He called the police and followed the burglar, who appeared to be "staggering" as he walked through the town. At one point, the thief turned and saw the man before taking off his hoodie and putting it in a bin.

Eventually, the man climbed over the gate of a nearby property. Police arrived and he was arrested.

Café owner Pavel Paska said around £3,000-worth of damage was caused, although the burglar made off with just £100.

The offender smashed the till on the floor and overturned a freezer, which spoiled around £700-worth of stock, Mr Paska said.

A jar of tips was also stolen and flooring was damaged.

"The police have been here checking for fingerprints, which they've found on the window," Mr Paska said.

"I've been told by the insurance company I'll get £1,000, but the cost of the damage caused is a lot more than that."

Alex Dominguez, co-owner of Tapas Plus, said a neighbouring business was raided two weeks ago.

"There have been a spate of incidents like this," he said.

"They came in and emptied the till. It was someone desperate for cash - that's all they've taken."

Burglars broke into the barbershop by smashing a glass window in the front door. CCTV captured in the shop shows a hooded man turning out the contents of the till, a member of staff said.

Both Mr Paska and Mr Dominguez say there has been a noticeable rise in rough sleeping in Bournemouth town centre.

"There is a huge population of desperate people on the streets now," Mr Dominguez said.

"It's very sad to say but it's true. There are always four or five wanting to stop you in the mornings."

Mr Paska said: "It wasn't like this in Bournemouth a few years ago.

"There are a lot more homeless people here now. You might see 10 on the streets in the Triangle.

"We've also had more problems with people dealing drugs."

A spokesperson for Dorset Police said officers were called to Tapas Plus at 5.11am and Shwan at 6.10am on Monday morning, and Jungle Café at 7.16pm on Sunday.

A 41-year-old man from Salisbury has been arrested on suspicion of burglary and is assisting officers with their enquiries in connection with the incident at the cafè.

"We are unable to confirm at this stage whether the incidents are linked but investigations are ongoing," he said.