'I was too scared to get out of the sea'

Laura Lake , 29 , used to regularly visit the beaches in Somerset on her own.

But suddenly she felt very vulnerable when she spotted a lone male stranger watching her swim.

She hurried out of the water and avoided eye contact with the man, who was in his fifties and wearing an oversized coat.

As Laura turned to leave the beach she quickly realised she was being followed.

Since that day she hasn't dared to go back to the beach alone.

Amie Gray , a 34-year-old football coach, was killed and Leanne Miles , 38 , seriously injured in Bournemouth beach stabbing.

The genteel seaside resort in Dorset has been likened to the 'Wild West' after a rise in stabbings, sexual assaults and antisocial behaviour.

Locals say they no longer feel safe going out after dark at night and avoid the town centre.

'When people think of the beach, they think of bustling, busy areas full of happy holidaymakers, but it can be really remote and isolated' 'All we can do as women is talk about it - so many don’t. “If something happens it should ideally be reported, so the police can build up a picture of any patterns and know where to increase police presence too.