TRADERS in a Hampshire town are threatening to take the law into their own hands if a spate of crimes against their shops and businesses continues.

Angry shopkeepers in Totton say “vigilante justice” could be the answer if the police cannot protect their premises.

Earlier this month one of Totton’s most “iconic” independent stores – Sweet Thoughts, formerly Mandy’s sweet shop in Eling Lane – was robbed by a man who threatened cashiers and demanded money from the till.

Just days later masked robbers stole cash from Dominos Pizza in Totton after threatening staff.

Earlier in March Kaiya Afro Hair Specialist was broken into and £3,000 worth of hair extensions taken.

As previously reported by the Echo a man was also arrested after an attempted robbery at newsagents McColls in Longstock Crescent in February.

The proprietor of Afro Hair specialist, Kane Ginnifer, said: “I think that it will come to the point of vigilante justice because people around here do not want to go to the police, nothing gets done.

“It’s clear who is doing the crimes but there is no police support, this burglary could have put me out of business.

“The police presence in the area has gone down so it seems like crime has naturally gone up.”

Katherine Stratton, who owns Sweet Thoughts, said that she has felt there had been a rise in attacks on small businesses.

She said that at the beginning of the year she was forced to put metal bars on the door as a security measure.

“I was the victim of two burglaries 20 years ago but recently it has got worse,” said Ms Stratton.

Speaking about the recent robbery of her shop she said: “I was so angry that my staff were put in a dangerous situation.

“My staff are brilliant and we will continue to support them, you just have to carry on.

“We are just a family-run sweet store, why do it? I guess people are unemployed and they don’t want to work.”

The man who snatched cash from the till at Sweet Thoughts has been described as around 6ft tall. At the time of the robbery he was wearing a large black Puffa-style waterproof coat with a hood, and baggy jeans.

A spokesperson from Hampshire Police said: “We have a neighbourhoods team based in Totton, supported by response and patrol officers and detectives who all work together to solve burglaries and other crimes. The neighbourhoods team is actively engaged with the local community and provides crime prevention advice to businesses.

“We ask the public to support us in our efforts.

“Anyone with information about these recent incidents should contact us on 101.”