KNIFE crime, violence against women and anti-social behaviour were some of the issues raised by the public at BCP's public safety livestream.

Representatives from Dorset Police, including police and crime commissioner David Sidwick, assistant constable Mark Callaghan and chief superintendent Heather Dixey, joined forces with a panel from BCP Council to answer the public's questions regarding safety in the conurbation.

The online meeting was organised following the death of Amie Gray, who was fatally stabbed in Bournemouth.

Mr Sidwick said: "I understand that there is work to do to restore public confidence.

"BCP is a safe space, but tragedies such as the death of Amie Gray make people feel unsafe.  If you do feel unsafe, we want to know why and where, and we can look into what more we can do to address these problems."

There was a feeling amongst residents an increased police presence would help to address issues, particularly in crime hot spot areas.

Responding to this feedback, Ch/Supt Dixey said: "We recognise that the public likes seeing police on the beat, and I share this view.

"We've invested and committed to having a more visible police response on foot."

Dorset Police said it has enhanced its Neighbourhood Policing Teams, particularly in Bournemouth Town Centre.

Ch/Supt Dixey said: "I have added six additional officers into Bournemouth Town Centre, so we have that overt policing presence in the real key areas."

Dorset Police emphasised the importance of reporting intelligence and making them aware of areas where the public feels unsafe.

However, the public raised the issue of long wait times and difficulties communicating with the local authorities when reporting crime.

Ch/Supt Dixey said: "We have restructured our force command centre and put in additional staff.

"We recognise that there is still some work to do in this area, but it is very much a priority, and we aim to bring down that wait time."

The authority addressed a question about what it is doing to address violence against women.

It reported a national operation is in place to protect vulnerable women, saying 'it's a priority' with a focus on educating young people and providing 'safe spaces' for the public.