News Archive

Dorset Museum in Dorchester is one of 29 museums across the country to be awarded by Arts Council England a share of £25m from the Government’s Museum, Estate and Development Fund (MEND). The Museum’s share amounts to over £940k which will replace the roof over the Victorian Hall, library and offices, while also repairing the leadwork ...

Building on the success of previous hugely popular events, the Family Science Day will be taking place again at the Dorset Museum & Art Gallery on Sunday the 16th March from 11am-1pm & 2pm-4pm. This free (but ticketed) activity is sure to bring out the Marie Curie or the Albert Einstein in you! Aimed at children ...

Detectives investigating a report that two people were assaulted in Weymouth are issuing an update. Dorset Police received a report at around 1am on Saturday 15 February 2025 of a disturbance in St Edmund Street involving a group of people. An 18-year-old man was reportedly assaulted and sustained a fractured skull. Another 18-year-old man also sustained facial ...

Monday 24 February marks the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Since Vladimir Putin’s forces began the war in 2022, millions have fled the country, with 1,000 Ukrainians now living in Dorset. Dorset Council will be flying the Ukrainian flag at County Hall in Dorchester to show our continued support and solidarity. Cllr Ryan Hope, Portfolio ...

Cllr. Nick Ireland, Leader of Dorset Council, has now received a reply from Mary Creagh CBE MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Nature, responding to his request that the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) intervene following the government’s decision to grant planning permission for the proposed incinerator in Portland. Cllr. Ireland said ...

Officers are appealing for anyone with information to come forward after a member of staff was assaulted outside a shop in Weymouth. At around 10.30am on Thursday 30 January 2025, a man entered Food Warehouse in Jubilee Close and left the shop without paying for some items. The suspect was challenged by a member of staff, but ...

Police officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with relevant dashcam footage to come forward following a serious injury road traffic collision in Weymouth. Dorset Police received a report at 11.30am on Monday 10 February 2025 of a road traffic collision involving a Ford Kuga and a pedestrian on East Street in Chickerell. Officers attended alongside the ...

Detectives are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward following a report that two people were assaulted in Weymouth. Dorset Police received a report at around 1am on Saturday 15 February 2025 of a disturbance in St Edmund Street involving a group of people. An 18-year-old man was reportedly assaulted and sustained a fractured ...

Another Saturday and another defeat for Weymouth Football Club’s men’s team, this time away at Farnborough, where they went down by 3 goals to nil, leaving them propping up the National League South league table in 24th place with remaining games running out in order to secure their place in the division and 13 points ...

Detectives are appealing for witnesses or anyone with relevant dashcam footage to come forward as they investigate reports of a robbery and attempted robberies near Dorchester. It was reported that at around 7.35pm on Friday 14 February 2025 a man driving a white Mercedes stopped to assist after coming across two men by a silver Ford ...

A man has been jailed after neighbourhood policing officers on patrol caught him in possession of drugs in Weymouth. Adam James Leslie, 44 and of Weymouth, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to supply a controlled drug of class A at a hearing at Poole Magistrates’ Court on Saturday 11 January 2025. At around ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses to come forward after a reported suspicious fire in a shed in Weymouth. At around 3.20pm on Thursday 13 February 2025, it is alleged that a shed was set on fire in Farwell Crescent. Officers attended and a 45-year-old man from Weymouth was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger ...

Dorset Police has launched a recruitment drive for volunteer Police Cadet Leaders to join the Force and help to make an instrumental difference in young people’s lives in the county. The Force has five Cadet units in Blandford Forum, Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and Weymouth. Each cadet unit offers a unique and exciting opportunity for teenagers aged ...

If you’ve ever considered becoming a childminder, don’t miss Dorset Council’s free online information session. The event, which takes place on February 26 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm, will cover topics such as start-up costs, key considerations, Ofsted requirements, available training, and more. The session will also feature guest speakers who are current childminders who will share ...

Young people across Dorset are being urged to have their say and help make their communities safer. An online survey is now open to  shape the future of the pioneering Pineapple Project that aims to keep young women and girls in Dorset safer. People aged 11 to 25 are encouraged to answer questions about their experiences of ...

In a statement issued today (12 February) plans by Dorset Council to introduce an evening and overnight parking charge in council-run car parks have been paused. The statment continues: “Having listened to initial concerns from councillors and the public, it is clear the introduction of such charges should not be decided until a thorough review of all ...

Imagine sitting in a real Roman amphitheatre, hearing the roar of the crowd around you, and witnessing Roman gladiators fighting in the area. You can experience this for free at Dorchester’s spectacular Roman Festival on Saturday 12th and 13th April 2025, during the school Easter holidays! This amazing, unmissable new festival will be hosted in the iconic ...

Dorset Council’s budget of £417.2 million for 2025-26 has been approved by councillors at the Full Council meeting on 11 February, with substantial investment earmarked for essential frontline council services which local residents and businesses rely on. Councils are required by law to set a balanced budget with expenditure equal to revenue. Dorset Council faces rising ...

The team at Cheriton Care Home in Dorchester has celebrated their recent CQC ‘Good’ rating by appointing Dorchester Family Support as their chosen charity for 2025. Inspectors assessed the home on November 11th, with the report published on January 30th. The CQC highlighted how residents felt safe, with one resident stating, “It’s the best home I’ve been ...

The way the public accesses Dorset County Hospital’s (DCH) Emergency Department will change this spring. Main construction of the Trust’s new Emergency Department (ED) and Critical Care Unit on the former Damers School site will begin in March 2025. The scheme is part of the Government’s New Hospital Programme. In order to keep emergency services running smoothly during the building ...

Dorset Police is leading efforts to combat romance fraud this Valentine’s Day with a ‘Big Night In’ . Romance fraud is a devastating crime that affects people of all ages, often leaving victims with financial losses and significant emotional trauma. The Force believes that empowering communities to identify and disrupt romance fraud at the point of contact ...

Linking public sector projects and teams to the service has helped Help and Kindness provide more connections to support residents and communities accords county. Help and Kindness has received more than 5,000 enquiries across a staggering number of themes – from finding people to help with household tasks and care needs, to putting people in touch ...

Dorset Museum & Art Gallery is celebrating a momentous achievement after securing two prestigious accolades at the 12th Dorset Tourism Awards, held at the Marsham Court Hotel in Bournemouth on 6th February 2025. The Museum was honoured to receive the Gold for the International Tourism Award and Gold for Large Visitor Attraction of the Year, solidifying its ...

Listen to a daily sports bulletin on the KeeP 106 breakfast show from 8:30 am Monday to Friday. Weymouth Football Club’s manager Warren Feeney must have been hoping his players could repeat last week’s performance when they beat Welling by 5 goals to 1 at the Bob Lucas Stadium this time away against Chesham, but it ...

The Mayor of Weymouth was with local school children today (Thursday 6th February) to praise them for suggesting a new message is read out when the town bridge lifts up, which temporarily splits the road in two. Cllr Jon Orrell, Weymouth’s Mayor, met some of the children from Holy Trinity School at Weymouth’s town bridge, along with ...

Dorset Council is on a mission to expand the county’s electric vehicle (EV) charging network and is calling on the public to help decide where to install the next batch of chargers. With the number of electric vehicles on the rise, it is important that Dorset’s communities are equipped to support growing demand from both residents ...

Major work to improve safety at the Maumbury Cross junction in Dorchester moves to the main crossing areas from Tuesday 11 February. This phase includes installing more signal-controlled pedestrian crossing points, widening and levelling of footways where possible and upgrading existing equipment. The initial work, which took place just south of the Maumbury Cross junction, went as ...

Dorset’s Police and Crime Panel have approved plans to increase the amount of money residents in the county pay for their policing service. When residents receive their council tax bill for this year, they will be paying an extra £14 a year, or £1.17 a month, if they live in a band D property. The agreement from ...

The Government has confirmed that Wessex has not been included within the Devolution Priority Programme. The four councils of Wessex submitted a comprehensive proposal outlining the transformative benefits devolution could bring, including greater local control over key areas such as transport, housing, and economic development. In a joint statement, the leaders of BCP, Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire ...

A teenager has been arrested following investigative work by officers into a report that a teenage boy was assaulted in Weymouth. Between 8.15pm and 8.45pm on Saturday 11 January 2025, Dorset Police received a report that a 16-year-old boy had been assaulted on The Esplanade at the end of St Mary Street. The victim was with three ...

The family of a man who died following a reported assault in Weymouth have issued a heartfelt tribute to their loved one. Anthony Jacob, known to his family as Tony and to many of his friends as Jake, died after sustaining injuries in an incident in Abbotsbury Road on the evening of Tuesday 10 December 2024. It ...

by Rich Gabe West Dorset Campaign for Real Ale, (CAMRA) are extremely proud to announce that the Woodman pub in South Street, Bridport, has been judged the 2025 branch “Pub of the Year”. The Woodman beat off stiff competition from other nominated pubs and was judged at different times by a panel of independent West Dorset ...

Weymouth Football Club’s fans have been moaning on the Terras’ internet forum that the team are at the bottom of the league because they have been failing to score any goals. Well, like busses you wait for ages, then 5 turn up together, and that is just what happened at the Bob Lucas Stadium on ...

If you want to face your fears and try something new and exciting in 2025, why not sign up to Weldmar Hospicecare’s adrenalin fuelled abseiling challenge? Abseil for Weldmar returns following a successful debut event in 2024, and will take place on Portland on Sunday, 18th May. Registration is only £25 per participant, with an achievable fundraising ...

The latest crime statistics show that Dorset remains one of the safest areas in the country after experiencing a decrease in crime. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) released data on Thursday 30 January 2025, confirming that Dorset remains in England’s top ten safest areas. During the 12 months from 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024, overall crime ...

Detectives are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward after a burglary at an address near Dorchester. At around 6.30pm on Tuesday 21 January 2025, a man forced entry to an address in West Knighton while the female victim was inside. The suspect is described as wearing dark clothing, gloves, a scarf and ...

Lloyds Banking Group have announced that they are to close the Dorchester branch of Lloyds Bank in June 2025. It is one of 136 branch closures across the country which includes Halifax and Bank of Scotland branches. The group say the reasons for these closures are that customers are using digital services more and more for their ...

Dorset County Hospital Charity is seeking enthusiastic participants to join the DCH100 Jurassic Coast Challenge on 17-18 May 2025 in aid of the hospital’s Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit Appeal. This is an outstanding opportunity to make a lasting impact for our local hospital, whilst also getting fit and having fun. Launching the 2025 event, the ...

Jake McCarthy saved the Weymouth’s blushes by converting a 95th-minute penalty and winning the Terras a valuable point at the Bob Lucas Stadium against fellow National League South strugglers Enfield Town after the visitors had taken the lead 10 minutes earlier, also with a penalty to make the final score Weymouth 1 vs Enfield Town ...

After four years of intensive work by a team of dedicated Weymouth community members in collaboration with planning professionals, the Weymouth Neighbourhood Plan has been submitted to Dorset Council for examination. This is a significant step closer for Weymouth residents to having greater influence over planning decisions in the designated Weymouth neighbourhood area. A final version of the plan has ...

NHS Dorset is extending its gratitude to the thousands of local people who have already had their flu, COVID-19 and other winter vaccinations, helping to protect themselves, their loved ones and the wider community. Flu and COVID-19 are still making people very ill across Dorset. Even more people are being encouraged to get protected and take ...

A major bequest has funded the redevelopment of Dorset County Hospital’s Prince of Wales Renal Unit. Dorset County Hospital’s Haemodialysis Unit and Prince of Wales Ward form the renal hub for in-centre renal replacement therapy across Dorset and South Somerset. The unit works closely with satellite units in Poole, Bournemouth and Yeovil to safely and ...

Officers are issuing an appeal and issuing an image of suspected stolen statues that were recovered in Dorchester and believed to have been stolen from West Dorset. On Tuesday 7 January 2025, officers recovered a large number of suspected stolen items, including high-value power tools, gardening equipment and two statues from a vehicle in the town. Police ...

Dorset charity Weldmar Hospicecare has raised an incredible £16,778 in its most successful annual Treecycle campaign to date. 1,440 trees were collected by volunteers from across the county, in return for donations to the charity. The money raised from supporters’ generous donations will help to fund the specialist end of life care for adults with a life limiting ...

A motorcycle ride out led by Dorset-based charity DocBike, has brought festive cheer to young patients staying in Kingfisher Ward at Dorset County Hospital on Christmas Day. On Sunday 22nd December 2024, over 50 big-hearted bikers took part in DocBike’s brand-new ‘Santa Toy Run’ event, to donate special gifts to young patients unable to spend Christmas ...

Between 8.15pm and 8.45pm on Saturday 11 January 2025, Dorset Police received a report that a 16-year-old boy had been assaulted on The Esplanade at the end of St Mary Street. It is reported that the victim was with three friends when a black car has stopped at the end of St Mary Street. The occupants of ...

A fire which broke out in the roof of a Dorchester care home on the night of Saturday 18th January is believed to have been caused by a faulty power wall socket. The fire, at Grassington House in Prince of Wales Road,  was extinguished by several hose reel jets by around 50 firefighters from across Dorset ...

Following their 1 nil defeat away against Worthing, Blue Terra wrote on the Fan’s Forum: “The most disappointing stat is no one hammers us, but our inability to score is sending us down”, and according to our Man at the Match, that just about sums it up. He added: “The Terras played ok, but they ...

Police officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward following a reported public order incident in Dorchester. The incident occurred at around 4.30pm on Thursday 16 January 2025 in Trinity Street involving the driver of a Mercedes and a male pedestrian. It is reported that the pedestrian told the driver of the car ...

A Weymouth man has been jailed for a violent domestic assault at a home in the town. Jethro Cray-Morris, aged 45 and of Lennox Street, was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent at Bournemouth Crown Court on Tuesday 10 December 2024. He was sentenced at the same court on Friday 17 January 2025 ...

Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) is held annually on 27 January to remember the millions of people who died during the Holocaust and in the genocides that followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. The date marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, where more than a million people died during the ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward following an assault in Weymouth. Between 11pm and 11.30pm on Friday 13 December 2024 a woman was reportedly assaulted by an unknown woman at The Rock pub in Abbotsbury Road. It was reported that the victim was grabbed by her hair and pulled to the ...

Weymouth Town Council agreed to increase its precept for the coming year, which will see residents pay an extra £1.50 a month on a Band D property. The recommended precept of £3,899,180 for 2025/26 was agreed at Full Council on Wednesday 15th January. The £1.50 a month increase, or £18 a year towards services the Council ...

An inclusive community music event with the message of One Beat Many Sounds is taking place in Dorchester on Saturday 25th January 2025. The Love Music Hate Racism gig will celebrate both the vibrant local music scene and communities standing together in unity against hatred and division. Love Music Hate Racism is a non-partisan campaign which ...

Rich Gabe, Press Officer and Social Secretary for the West Dorset branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) sends us this report: It’s nearly time to raise a glass and toast the annual Dorchester Beerex which opens on Friday January 31st & February 1st in Dorchester’s Corn exchange. The popular sell out event now in ...

Martinstown Circle Suppers have launched their 10th year of fundraising by presenting a cheque for £7,350 to Dorchester Poverty Action (DPA). The funds, raised throughout 2024, will support individuals and families in need across the DT1 and DT2 postcode areas. At the cheque presentation, which took place during the January launch event for the 2025 Circle Suppers ...

Dorset Council has announced it is taking a second look at its development plans for North Quay and Weymouth Bowl. This decision comes after a thorough evaluation process revealed that the applications the council received from potential development partners did not meet the standards the council had set for the development of these two prime real ...

Weymouth Football Club’s Senior men’s team hosted Dorking at the Bob Lucas Stadium on Saturday and, despite putting up a valiant display, went down by 3 goals to 2. This result leaves the Terras still rooted firmly to the foot of the National League South League table, although our Man at the Match said: “Weymouth were ...

The Leaders of Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire Councils have submitted a letter to the Government to confirm they wish to be considered as part of the Devolution Priority Programme. In a joint statement, the leaders of Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire Councils, Cllr Nick Ireland, Cllr Bill Revans, and Cllr Richard Clewer, said: “We are pleased to confirm ...

Even the most optimistic of Weymouth Football Club fans are beginning to doubt that the Terras can haul themselves out of the National League South relegation zone after Tuesday evening 2 goals to 1 loss away against fellow strugglers Welling. The Terras are rooted to the bottom of the league table in 24th place with 15 ...