Police have launched a manhunt after a woman was raped in a seaside resort that is being dubbed the ‘Wild West’ for crime.

The victim was attacked on Horseshoe Common, in Bournemouth, Dorset, at around 4am today. The town centre park has been cordoned off while police search for the perpetrator.

This is the third rape attack to happen in the resort’s town centre in 10 months and the latest incident in an alarming rise in violent and sexual crime in the area.

Last weekend 18-year-old plumber Cameron Hamilton was stabbed to death in the town centre following an evening out. An 18-year-old man has been charged with murder. 

Bournemouth is typically known for being a family-friendly seaside resort but now local residents and visitors have expressed concerns that it is no longer safe, with many blaming a lack of police for the rise in crime.   

Police have launched a manhunt after a woman was raped in Bournemouth, which is being dubbed the 'Wild West' for crime

Police have launched a manhunt after a woman was raped in Bournemouth, which is being dubbed the ‘Wild West’ for crime

Dorset Police said they have seen a 25 per cent spike in 999 calls since the summer season began, compared to the same period last year

Dorset Police said they have seen a 25 per cent spike in 999 calls since the summer season began, compared to the same period last year

On June 25 two girls aged 10 and 11 were sexually assaulted while they swam in the sea and a 43-year-old man, from London, has been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault.

A week before this, a 17-year-old boy reported being touched inappropriately while in the water with friends close to the pier.

Conor Burns, the MP for Bournemouth West, said he fears the town has become a haven for criminals due to a lack of a police presence. 

Two people were arrested after a man in his 60s was allegedly attacked and died on Hinton Road on July 21. 

Earlier in July, a woman made a complaint of being raped in public toilets on the East Cliff of the town – a 30-year-old man has been charged with rape.

In an incident on June 18, a 21-year-old man suffered serious injuries when he was stabbed in the stomach and head during a fight in the town centre area and a 21-year-old woman sustained knife wounds to her lower body.  A 20-year-old man has been charged with causing grievous bodily harm.

On June 13, two men were assaulted by a group of men wearing black clothing and face coverings close to the seafront.

Four days later a man in his 30s suffered a fractured skull when he was hit on the head with an unknown weapon as he walked through the Lower Gardens in broad daylight. 

Bournemouth is typically known for being a family-friendly seaside resort but now local residents and visitors have expressed concerns that it is no longer safe

Bournemouth is typically known for being a family-friendly seaside resort but now local residents and visitors have expressed concerns that it is no longer safe

The town centre park - Horseshoe Common - has been cordoned off while police search for the perpetrator

The town centre park – Horseshoe Common – has been cordoned off while police search for the perpetrator

On June 11 a man in his 20s was punched in the face and robbed of his watch by a violent assailant outside Camel bar on Old Christchurch Road.

The day before a man in his 20s was assaulted in an alleyway near to the Dancing Jug pub and sustained a broken nose, cut to the head and a serious injury to his knee that required surgery.

On the first day of June a mass brawl involving 50 people erupted on the beach in broad daylight.

Dorset Police said they have seen a 25 per cent spike in 999 calls since the summer season began, compared to the same period last year. 

A man in his 40s was chased, punched and robbed of a quantity of cash after leaving Bar So near to the seafront, on May 21.

The police cordon at Horseshoe Common after a woman was raped at 4am this morning

The police cordon at Horseshoe Common after a woman was raped at 4am this morning

Another serious incident includes a woman who was raped by several men off Old Christchurch Road on October 30 last year. Additionally, in July 2021 a 15-year-old girl was allegedly raped as she swam in the sea next to the pier. An 19-year-old man is awaiting trial for rape.

MP Conor Burns said: ‘The public want to hear that the police are going into the town centre again in a visible way that tackles crime, that clamps down on aggressive begging and aggressive behaviour and that changes the culture of our town centre back to one that people felt safe and welcoming to go into.

‘This is really fundamental – no more words, we need action.

‘You only ever see police in vehicles, never on patrol on foot.

‘The shopkeepers and the residents in the town centre and more widely are telling me that they have got an acute dose of reporting fatigue.

‘In other words, they don’t see the point in reporting stuff to the police anymore because nothing happens.

This is the third rape attack to happen in the resort's town centre in 10 months and the latest incident in an alarming rise in violent and sexual crime in the area

This is the third rape attack to happen in the resort’s town centre in 10 months and the latest incident in an alarming rise in violent and sexual crime in the area 

‘I have experienced this myself when I reported in April a live drug deal taking place.

‘And guess what I heard back from the police? Nothing. People want to see police out in the community making the public safe.’

David Sidwick, the Dorset Police & Crime Commissioner, said he is speaking to the Chief Constable to review policing in the town centre.

Dorset Police has been contacted for comment.  

You May Also Like

Matthew McConaughey Yellowstone spinoff moves forward amid rumors of Kevin Costner exit

A Yellowstone spin-off starring Matthew McConaughey is set to move forward whether…

High cholesterol: At-home hand test to check risk of retinal artery occlusion – experts

In a study published in Science Daily, high cholesterol levels were seen…

EXCLUSIVE: Charlotte Sena’s suspected kidnapper Craig Ross targeted the nine-year-old and held her for ransom after learning of her late grandfather Patrick Sena’s fortune

A former girlfriend of Craig Ross told DailyMail.com she believes he kidnapped…

Woman, 18, thought she had pulled a muscle – turned out to be dangerous blood clots

Blood clotting is a process required to prevent excessive bleeding when we…