SHOPKEEPER Geoff Hill-Walsh is fitting new steel shutters at his Dorchester store after it was raided for the second time in a month.

He is taking the action after thieves escaped with £6,000 of clothes from the House of Kings shop in Tudor Arcade.

The break-in on August 12 was the fifth in five years and came less than a month after £12,000 of jeans were stolen in a mid-July raid.

Mr Hill-Walsh, who also runs House of Kings in Bond Street, Weymouth, said: "We have had metal grids in the windows. I would like people to be able to look into the windows at night rather than having shutters.

"I know authorities don't want the town looking like Brixton in London, but I am pretty fed up with the situation and am going to fit shutters.

He added: "The windows have cost about £4,000 to replace in the latest raid and I hope the insurance pays for it.

"My premium is going to go through the roof."

The thieves smashed windows to steal shirts from the store at 9.30pm on August 12. A silver car was seen nearby and witnesses spotted one man acting as a lookout.

Now police and Mr Hill-Walsh have launched a new appeal for witnesses and information to catch the thieves.

Mr Hill-Walsh, who started the House of Kings business in Weymouth in 1977, said: "This has happened five times in five years.

"It is beyond a joke. I go to bed at night and think the phone's going to ring about another break-in.

"There need to be more bobbies on the beat at night."

He added: "I would like to thank people in Dorchester for their support.

"Most are outraged that this could happen at 9.30pm on a summer's night in the county town of Dorchester."

Insp Andy Mason, of Dorchester Police, said there were patrols on duty in town but that they could not be everywhere.

He added: "This is not the first time this has happened at the House of Kings.

"It goes to show the value of CCTV in these circumstances.

"CCTV can act as our eyes at vulnerable locations 24 hours around the clock and it has been used extremely effectively in Weymouth and Bridport."

The lookout spotted during the recent raid was 5ft 8in, in his mid-30s, of average build with short brown hair. He was wearing a red, white and blue horizontally striped top.

Witnesses and anyone with information is urged to call Dorchester Police on 01305 226801 and Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.