THE death of Katrina O'Hara is still sorely felt by people in Blandford, two years after her murder.

North Dorset MP Simon Hoare said the murder of the beloved mother of three had a large impact on the town.

It comes as Dorset Police have been criticised for a number of serious failings by the IOPC, with a number of officers disciplined for their conduct during the months leading up to the death of the 44-year-old.

Ms O’Hara was stabbed to death in a barbershop in East Street, Blandford Forum, on January 7, 2016, by her ex-partner Stuart Thomas, also known as George Thomas.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 26 years in August 2016.

Mr Hoare said: "It was obviously a tragic loss. It would have been shocking in any constituency, but in a quiet, low crime place like North Dorset, it did cause the most monumental shock.

"And it is something that is still felt very keenly here."

The MP, who had met Katrina a couple of times before her death, said he would be raising the issue with Dorset's Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill when he met with him later this month.

"I have a scheduled meeting with him about the lessons that can be learnt and how we can try and ensure that this never happens again", he added.

"What I want to ask is what steps are the Crime Commissioner and the Chief Constable putting in place.

"The easiest thing to so is to shout and point fingers; that is not going to bring her back.

"What we have to try and do now is make sure there is an understanding of the issues and work out how we can make sure this never happens again."

Ms O'Hara's family said: “We are deeply upset by the failings identified in both the IOPC report and the Domestic Homicide Review.

"For us, they highlight that our mother’s death could have been prevented and this only makes our grief even harder to bear."

They added: "We’re victims of police cuts. Every force needs to have the funding to be able to deliver the right training to all officers and support staff, and to then assess how effective that training actually is, otherwise there will be more avoidable deaths."