News Archive

Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) is held annually on 27 January to remember the millions of people who died during the Holocaust, under Nazi persecution, and in the genocides that followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. To commemorate HMD this year, Dorchester Town Council and the South-West Dorset Multicultural Network, with the support of Dorset Council ...

Discover Dorchester is thrilled to share the full line up for the much anticipated Brew Dorch 2024 – Dorchester’s Festival of Drinks, taking place from February 15th to 18th, 2024. This four-day extravaganza promises a delightful blend of craft beverages, culinary experiences, and interactive events, making it a must-attend celebration for locals and visitors alike. The ...

Weymouth hosted Slough Town at the Bob Lucas Stadium and banked all 3 National League South points courtesy of 3 goals, one each from Alfie Rutherford, Brandon Goodship and Harry Parsons with no reply from their guests. Our Man at the Match said,” What a change round in the second half, Weymouth were a different team, ...

Ever thought of becoming a local councillor? All 82 councillor seats for Dorset Council are up for election in May this year. As a councillor you will play a vital role in shaping local services and make a huge difference to the quality of life of local people and how local issues are dealt with. Many candidates ...

Dorset Police’s Christmas drink and drug drive campaign, which targeted people who drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, proved successful. Between Friday 1 December 2023 and Monday 1 January 2024, party-goers were encouraged to plan their journeys home, reminded of the potential consequences if they are caught driving while under the influence and ...

An elderly couple were rescued from their smoke-filled home this morning (11 January) by Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service. The couple were trapped in their first floor bedroom after an electrical fire broke out on the ground floor. They were able to call 999 and were given fire survival guidance by the Fire Control call ...

A man has been arrested in connection with a reported burglary in Dorchester. It was reported that between 1.40am and 1.50am on Saturday 30 December 2023 a man entered Eleanor Nursing & Social Care in Bridport Road and stole a bank card. The bank card was subsequently alleged to have been used to carry out fraudulent transactions ...

It’s not long now until the return of the annual Dorchester Beerex held in the Corn Exchange, Dorchester and organised by members of West Dorset Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and Dorchester Casterbridge Rotary Club. The festival takes place over 4 sessions on Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd February, lunchtime and evening on both days. The ...

Chris Loder MP is urging local organisations and councils across West Dorset to bid for the next round of the Community Ownership Fund. Round Three of the Fund is open and will close at 11:59am on 31st January 2024. The competitive Fund enables community and voluntary organisations, and parish, town, and community councils, to take ...

Police officers investigating an alleged assault in Dorchester are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. The victim – a male taxi driver aged in his 40s – picked up a man from an address in Cambridge Road on Monday 25 December 2023. It is reported that at around 6.30pm the victim was ...

Our reporter Idris Martin has visited the site of the former council offices at North Quay in Weymouth which currently are being demolished. Owned by Dorset Council the building was costing £110,000 a year to maintain. The plan is for the construction to be demolished by mechanical grabbers, starting in the East end of the building. When ...

Puddletown Rugby Club celebrated the 50th anniversary since the club’s formation with a pre-match dinner attended by many of their former captains. The celebrations took place at their Greenfields Ground on Piddlehinton Camp where they now play their rugby. Then the assembled members and guests took in the Villagers game against Dorchester Second team and the players did ...

If you have overspent at Christmas a local church is offering free money coaching to help people manage their finances. CAP money coach, Dick Howard, and fellow CAP coaches are offering a three-hour course, one on Tuesday 9th January 2-5pm and the other on Saturday morning 13th January 9.30-12.30 at the Dorford Centre, Bridport Road, Dorchester. Course ...

Officers investigating an assault in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. The victim – a male taxi driver aged in his 40s – picked up two men and two women from The Punch Bowl Inn in Easton on Portland on Monday 25 December 2023. It is reported that at around ...

Starting on Friday January 5th 2024 Weymouth in the Community  in partnership with Weymouth Football Club will be holding “open sessions” for Women and Mixed Men/Women walking football. Friday evening sessions as below:- 7-8pm: 1 hours session open to all women over the age of 30 with professional coaching. 8-9pm: 1 hours open session for mixed, ideal for ...

A man has been charged with murder in connection with an investigation into the death of a man at an address in Weymouth. Dorset Police received a report at 11.07pm on Saturday 30 December 2023 relating to an incident where a man required medical assistance at the Hotel Central in Maiden Street. Officers attended and very sadly ...

Dorset Police received a report at 8.11pm on Monday 1 January 2024 of a collision on the A35 near Bloxworth near Bere Regis involving a white Ford Transit Connect and a black Volkswagen Caddy. Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with relevant dashcam footage to come forward. Emergency services attended and the driver of the Volkswagen, ...

Police officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage to come forward following a fatal road traffic collision in West Dorset. At 1.34pm on Monday 1 January 2024, Dorset Police received a report of a three-vehicle road traffic collision on the A35 near Kingston Russell. The vehicles involved were a silver Kia Sorento, a ...

Portland United travelled to play Bournemouth Poppies on Saturday and returned to Grove Corner with 2 goals to 1 Wessex Premier League victory. The Blues took an early lead through Connor Bent then the Poppies equalised with a penalty. Going into the final minute of the 90 Sam Gadsby lashed the ball into the Poppies net to ...

Detectives are appealing for anyone with information to come forward as they investigate the death of a man at an address in Weymouth. Dorset Police received a report at 11.07pm on Saturday 30 December 2023 relating to an incident where a man required medical assistance at the Hotel Central in Maiden Street. Officers attended, along with the ...

Detectives investigating an incident where a teenage boy was reportedly injured following a collision with a vehicle in Dorchester are appealing for witnesses or anyone with relevant footage to come forward. Dorset Police received a report at 6.58pm on Friday 29 December 2023 in relation to an incident that is believed to have occurred in Coburg ...

A man has been jailed following an investigation by officers into a series of vehicle offences in the Dorchester and West Dorset area. Rickey Lee Thompson, aged 32 and of no fixed abode, was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday 22 December 2023 after admitting two counts of aggravated theft of a motor vehicle as ...

A woman who sustained serious injuries in a road traffic collision in Weymouth has very sadly died. The incident, which occurred in Dorchester Road, was reported to police at 5.43pm on Wednesday 13 December 2023. It involved a blue Mitsubishi car – driven by a man aged in his 60s from Hertfordshire – and a female ...

A county lines drug dealer has been jailed for three years and nine months following offences in the Weymouth area. Frankie Reeves, 25 and of Derbyshire, was jailed at Bournemouth Crown Court on Wednesday 20 December 2023 after pleading guilty at a previous hearing to two counts of being concerned in the supply of a class ...

It was very much mixed fortunes for our local football teams over the Christmas holiday weekend. On Saturday Weymouth drew 1 all at home against lowly Dover Athletic, their goal coming from Brandon Goodship, Dorchester lost 2 nil away at Chesham, but Portland United delivered the Christmas cheer beating Christchurch by 3 goals to nil at ...

Our sports reporter Idris Martin reports that the annual Nurdling tradition takes place on the Old Roman Road in Upwey at around 11:00 am near the Ship Inn. It was to have been held on Boxing Day but has been put back to New Year’s Day when two teams, Red and Blue, attempt to out-nurdle ...

With the festive season in full swing, Dorset Police has issued advice to everyone who is out and about in the run up to Christmas to do what they can to keep themselves and everyone else safe. The force will also be actively keeping an eye out for sexually aggressive behaviour. Superintendent Emma Sweetzer, Force Lead ...

A domestic abuse and stalking survivor who was held hostage at gunpoint by her former partner in Wales visited Dorset to speak about her lived experience. Rhianon Bragg delivered a hard-hitting input to officers and staff from the Force’s Firearms Licensing Team and Adult Safeguarding Hub as part of her personal mission to bring positive change ...

Officers investigating a road traffic collision near Dorchester are appealing for witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage to get in touch. At around 10.40am on Monday 18 December 2023 a collision occurred involving a red Ford Focus and a white Renault panel van on Waddock Drove near Hurst Moreton. The occupants of both vehicles attended hospital for ...

Officers investigating a report of attempted burglary at a home in Weymouth are issuing a CCTV image of a man they are looking to identify. At around 3.20am on Saturday 16 December 2023 a man was seen trying car door handles and trying to gain entry to a property in Radipole Lane in Westham. No entry ...

Dorset’s Police & Crime Commissioner is asking members of the public for their views on paying an additional £1.08 per month. If approved, the figure would see those living in a Band D property paying an extra £13 a year for policing the county. Each police force is funded through a combination of funding from precept ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward following a burglary in Weymouth. At around 9.55pm on Thursday 14 December 2023, a report was received of a man acting suspiciously in Blenheim Road. Officers attended and it was found that a garage had been broken into and a quantity of food and alcohol ...

‘Chase The Pudding’ took place on Weymouth beach on 17th December. The event involves running a 5Km race, dressed in Santa costumes, from the Weymouth Pavilion to the stones at Greenhill, and back! For the under 16s there is a shorter route from the Pavilion to the Pier Bandstand and back. The purpose of the event ...

Chris Loder, MP for West Dorset, has issued a statement on the Ministry of Defence’s decision to temporarily accommodate up to 250 people from Afghanistan at Chickerell Camp who have supported the British Armed Forces in their work. Under the Afghanistan Resettlement and Assistance Policy (ARAP), the UK Government has re-evaluated the risks to ARAP families ...

Members of Dorset Council voted to approve the Housing Strategy at last night’s full council meeting at County Hall, Dorchester. It brings together extensive research and analysis of housing issues from a local and national context.  Internal and external stakeholder engagement and 2,137 responses to a 10-week public consultation have also helped to shape the strategy. It ...

It’s back to National League South action for Weymouth Football Club’s senior men’s team this weekend following their elimination from the FA Trophy competition at the 3rd round stage last Saturday at Hendon. The Terras travel to The Thornbury Surfacing Stadium on Saturday to play Chippenham Town. Dorchester play Walton & Hersham at the Avenue Stadium and plan ...

The Town Crier of Dorchester, and the current mayor, has announced that he is to retire from town crier duties and will be delivering his final cry at the Town Pump on New Year’s Eve. Popular local personality Alistair Chisholm has been Dorchester Town Crier for no less than 27 years and has been Champion UK ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward as they investigate a report of sexual assault on a bus in Portland. It was reported that at around 6pm on Wednesday 13 December 2023 a 14-year-old girl was travelling on a bus, believed to be the number one First bus, from Wyke Regis ...

Dorset Council advises that the dates for rubbish and recycling collections will change for Christmas and the new year. See below for the revised timetable. As well as your collection date changing over the Christmas period, the crews might pick up your waste at a different time of day than usual. Therefore, you are asked to ...

Officers investigating a series of criminal damage incidents in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. It was reported that at least five cars had their tyres slashed while parked in a communal car park outside a block of flats off Dorchester Road in the Lodmoor Hill area between Monday 27 ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage to come forward following a fatal road traffic collision near Bere Regis. At 5.49pm on Monday 11 December 2023, Dorset Police received a report of a single-vehicle collision on the A31 at Winterborne Zelston. Officers and the ambulance service attended, but very sadly, the driver of a ...

Police officers investigating an assault on a dog walker in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. Between 8.10am and 8.20am on Wednesday 29 November 2023, the victim – a woman aged in her 50s – was walking her dog on a path near to Victory Hall in Putton Lane when ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward as they investigate an assault in Weymouth. It was reported that at around 10.10am on Friday 8 December 2023 a woman aged in her 20s was walking on The Esplanade, near to the Bluebird Coaches booking office, with a young child when they were ...

Weymouth Football Club’s senior men’s team’s participation in this season’s FA trophy competition ended at the Silver Jubilee Stadium on Saturday afternoon when they down by 2 goals to nil against Hendon. Our Man at the Match said, “On paper we should have won as we are in the division above Hendon, but it was a ...

As advised by the Environment Agency on Friday there has been significant flooding in the South Winterbourne valley after heavy rainfall, levels at the Kingston Russell borehole having risen very steeply. Our reporter and photographer Idris Martin took the pictures below of the flood scenes in Martinstown.  

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has announced that online registration is NOW OPEN for next year’s Coast to Coast Cycle Challenge, which takes place on Saturday 18th May 2024. The ever-popular event is not designed as a race and involves cycling through some of Dorset and Somerset’s most beautiful countryside. There are two routes available to choose ...

A man has been charged and is due to appear in court in connection with a fatal road traffic collision in Weymouth. Dorset Police was called to a report of a collision involving a Mercedes Sprinter van and a pedestrian in Wooland Gardens at 12.49pm on Tuesday 2 May 2023. Emergency services attended and very sadly the ...

Officers investigating an assault in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. It is reported that at around 1.25am on Sunday 3 December 2023, a man was assaulted in Mitchell Street. The victim, a man in his 20s, was hit by another man causing him to lose consciousness. He was treated at ...

Detectives have made a further arrest as they continue to investigate a reported disturbance that took place in Weymouth. At around 3.10am on Sunday 3 December 2023 officers were called to reports that a group of people were walking around the town provoking fights and assaulting members of the public. It was reported that during the ...

Thirty years after her death, the first ever exhibition dedicated to Elisabeth Frink’s time in Dorset will showcase over 80 sculptures, drawings and prints at Dorset Museum, including the working plasters that informed the final bronze sculptures that have never been on public display before. One of the most celebrated sculptors of recent times – the ...

Two young Dorchester singers will be taking solo parts in next Saturday’s concert by Dorchester Choral Society which takes place at St Mary’s Church from 7.30pm The concert is called “From Darkness to Light” and features music by Purcell, Bruckner and Buxtehude.  The second part of the programme is devoted to Schütz’s charming re-telling of the ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward after a fire that is believed to have been started deliberately in Weymouth. It is reported that at around 5pm on Friday 17 November 2023, the fire service responded to a call from a member of the public that a tent had been set ...

Detectives are appealing for any witnesses to a reported disturbance that took place in Weymouth to come forward. At around 3.10am on Sunday 3 December 2023 officers were called to reports that a group of people were walking around the town provoking fights and assaulting members of the public. It is reported that during the incident ...

The weather decimated this weekend’s local sporting program with Weymouth football club’s game at Braintree, Bridport Football Club’s match at Bishop’s Lydeard and Weymouth & Portland rugby club’s game away at Combe Down all called off by Saturday morning and Dorchester Football Club’s game at the Avenue Stadium against visitors Beaconsfield was abandoned after 66 ...

Round 4 of the Household Support Fund (HSF) will reopen for applications at 10am on Tuesday 5 December 2023 for low-income households in the Dorset Council area. The government scheme funded by the Department for Work and Pensions, provides support in the form of supermarket vouchers. Citizens Advice will be allocating this fund on behalf of ...

Christmas shopping is well underway, and trees and decorations are going up in people’s homes. If you have a real Christmas tree, Weldmar Hospicecare’s Christmas Treecycle scheme can ease the pressure of disposing of your tree at the end of the festive season. Book in your real Christmas tree collection in January 2024 in return ...

Dorset Council has received special recognition for an innovative solution designed to reduce energy consumption, and save money. The authority competed against more than 800 nominations from around the world in the International Green Apple Environment Awards to receive a silver award at the Houses of Parliament. It won the award for its electronic ‘hotbox’ situated at ...

The wait is over, and the magic has officially arrived! Christmas at Nutley Farm has opened its gates to welcome visitors into a winter wonderland of festive delight, promising an unforgettable experience for families and friends. All whilst raising funds for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. Anne Roots is staging the festive extravaganza with her ...

NHS services in Dorset are currently experiencing significant levels of demand and help from the public is requested to provide care for those who need it most by using the right services at the right time. Please use NHS 111 online or call 111 if you need urgent care that is not life-threatening. If face-to-face support is needed, an appointment ...

The DORCHESTER Christmas Cracker was a huge success in 2022 following a new format which took the event to an all-day affair in Dorchester.   The Christmas Cracker event will be back on Sunday 10th December 2023 with even more festive fun for all the family.   The Christmas Cracker event will start at 11am and run ...