BUSINESSES in Ferndown are reeling from a spate of burglaries.

Four shops in the town centre have been attacked, and security equipment tampered with at a fifth premises, in the last two weeks.

Mandy Kemp, a director of the Xerocad print shop on Ringwood Road, said cash, computers and a charity box had been stolen from her premises overnight between last Sunday and Monday.

“An attack on your business is just as emotional and upsetting as a burglary at your home.

“This is a business we have worked 80 hours a week to build up,” said Mandy.

“The Muscular Dystrophy collection box was almost full, which shows that these people have no scruples,” she added.

A window was smashed and security bars bent at the next-door Shoe Tree shop, said manager Debra Ramsay, but thieves did not gain entry.

Jayson Priday, the manager of the Ferndown branch of Hearnes estate agents, said his premises had been attacked just over two weeks ago.

“They got a skip from the back of the car park, climbed on it, and smashed a window.

“They took two computers and their monitors, a laptop computer and a camera worth about £1,000,” said Mr Priday.

Geoff Thomas, the proprietor of Ashley’s Fish and Chips, said thieves had entered through a skylight at his Victoria Road fishery on September 21 and escaped with £203 in cash.

East Dorset’s section commander, Insp Mike Darkin, said a meeting had been held yesterday to draw up an action plan to stop a “growing trend” of commercial burglaries.

Beat officers were signing up town centre businesses to the successful “industrial watch” system, which has been operating on the Ferndown industrial estate, the inspector added.

District councillor Lesley Dedman backed an extension of the “Ringmaster” information sharing system, saying it had proved a success with businesses on the town’s industrial estate.

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