Four shops in the Arcade have been hit by burglaries and thefts since Shannon disappeared on February 19.

Perfumery the Final Touch and another nearby premises were burgled overnight on March 1.

Shoe shop Ivor Burns was then targeted by thieves last Friday, who stole money out of the till during business hours.

And overnight between 7.30pm on Friday and Saturday morning, Strange Tales Comics was burgled.

Owner Tasneem Marshall said: "The crime rate has gone up for the past three weeks because of the Shannon case. When I rang up to report the burglary they said it would be a four-hour wait due to Shannon Matthews.

"We haven't seen a local copper round here for ages."

She said when the burglars struck her shop, they made off with a computer, a camera, the cash box, a briefcase and items of stock such as T-shirts, comics and DVD box sets.

Mrs Marshall, who is undergoing treatment for a cancerous tumour in her pelvis, said they also stole a bottle of her morphine and hypodermic needles.

And she said the theft of her Shopwatch radio, which links businesses in the town centre so they can share crime-related information, may have compromised the security of the system.

She said: "I have heard people say they have felt like they have been violated after a burglary and thought they were making a fuss, but it did feel like that.

"On Saturday I felt like packing up and going, I was so upset, but on Monday I had customers bringing me chocolates, wine, cards, they were so considerate."

Now shopkeepers in the Arcade are having to club together to pay for improved security, due to be installed today.

A police spokesman said: "Routine policing across the Dewsbury area has been maintained throughout the Shannon Matthews enquiry and our response time to this incident was reasonable given the circumstances.

"The Dewsbury and Mirfield Neighbourhood Policing Team has seen a slight increase in crime figures over the last four weeks, compared with the month prior, but there is nothing to suggest that this is as a result of the Shannon Matthews investigation.

"Resources from across the force and other forces were drafted into Dewsbury to assist in the Shannon Matthews investigation, so that normal policing could continue across the division.

"If anything there have been more police resources in the area than ever before."

Anyone with information on any of the thefts or burglaries is asked to contact police on 0845 6060606, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.