A "SUSPICIOUS" looking man was seen peeking through car windows at a Bournemouth car park.

The man was spotted by CCTV cameras looking through car windows in Avenue Road car park at about 11.30pm on January 3.

Police officers were called to the scene where they "quickly" arrived and detained two men matching the description given to them by the CCTV operators.

A spokesman for Bournemouth police said: "Through car park CCTV it was confirmed that one of the males in questioned was the suspect and they were arrested for vehicle interference and taken to custody where they were charged with the offence. 

"Bournemouth police will continue to patrol locations reported to us for crimes of vehicle interference and theft from vehicles in the town centre and Westbourne area.

"Thanks to the work with the town council cameras, we were able to swiftly apprehend the suspect and prevent any damage or loss of items."

Extra security measures, including CCTV cameras, were installed in Avenue Road car park by BCP Council in 2019 after a spate of break-ins and smashed windows.

The authority works closely with Dorset Police, feeding the information gathered from the cameras to the county force to tackle crime.

Figures from the Home Office show Dorset Police recorded 1,095 crimes of 'theft or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle' in the year to June.

This is a leap of 45 per cent from 758 thefts the year before.

This was also a rise from the same period five years ago, when 682 such crimes were registered in the area.

Gus Park, managing director for AA insurance services, said there is a danger these figures can "get out of control" thus adding "big" cost implications to society.

"We urge police chiefs and crime commissioners across the country to create an action plan to crack the case."