News Archive

Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with relevant dashcam to come forward as they investigate a serious injury road traffic collision in Weymouth. A report was received at 3.57pm on Saturday 2 October 2021 in relation to a single vehicle collision on Preston Road, involving a grey BMW that had left the road and collided ...

“Road havoc” is what one listener told KeeP 106 today (Saturday 2 Oct) after getting caught in multiple road closures in the past 24 hours. The A354 between Thornicombe and Blandford was closed after power cables fell causing disruption to commuters on Friday. Back roads to the town became jammed as HGVs tried to negotiate the ...

We continue to see a decline in cases in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole this week. However, cases in Dorset have risen this week. For Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, the case rates are below the South West average, for Dorset, the case rates are above the South West average. The local case rates remain below the ...

Thanks to Mike Watson who is one of Dorset’s volunteer Digital Champions, organised from County Hall, for sending us the following information which is sure to be of help to many people. “I was on duty in the foyer of Dorchester Library last Wednesday, and I watched a couple of folks struggle to pay for their ...

More people in Dorset can now access free technical advice thanks to the expansion of Dorset Council’s volunteer digital champion service. Since Covid restrictions were lifted, the council’s volunteer digital champions have gradually resumed their face-to-face advice sessions. From this autumn the volunteer champions are available, or will shortly be available, at 13 centres across Dorset – ...

Weymouth Lifeboat Station has recently received a large donation bequeathed in the will of Mrs Jean Johnson. The station was visited by Mrs Johnson’s executors, Mr & Mrs Stevenson who handed over a cheque for £235,000. A similar amount was also donated to Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. Mrs Stevenson said of Mrs Johnson: “Jean Patricia Johnson was ...

Dorchester Ladies FC return to the Dorset Women’s League for the 2021/22 season following a short break in the team’s proud history. With ambitions to create a new successful ladies team for the county town, the players and Manager Graham Stoker are also keen to provide a pathway to adult football for the many girls already ...

Weymouth RNLI lifeboat is more than just the 30 volunteer operational lifeboat crews. Behind them and supporting them is a number of other roles without which the station would not operate. In addition to a management team there is also a fund-raising team headed by Events Committee Chair Teresa Drage. Teresa has just been awarded a framed ...

On Saturday 26 September, Dorchester Ladies FC faced a tough battle at home against last season’s league runners up Weymouth FC Women. There were strong midfield battles in the first half which led to a competitive game, but Dorchester took the lead after 20mins as Bagwell showed greater strength to force home a Bartlett corner. The Magpies ...

Officers investigating an incident where a teenage boy was bitten by a dog in Weymouth are appealing for anyone with information to come forward. The incident occurred at around 1.50pm on Friday 17 September 2021, as the 13-year-old boy walked through an alleyway from Doncaster Road toward the Rodwell Trail. He walked past a man with a ...

The Boys’ Brigade in Dorchester is back with a clear message – “we’re open”. The group provides opportunities for children and young people to learn, grow and discover in a safe, fun and caring environment. There’s opportunities to develop skills, build confidence, make friends, work towards awards, make a difference in the local community and of ...

On 25 September officers from the West Dorset County Lines Management Team detained two people in the Park District area of Weymouth for a search under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Suspected controlled drugs and a large quantity of cash was seized following the search. Two people, who are not local to the Weymouth area, were arrested ...

Since last week’s update, case rates in Dorset and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole continued to decline but we have seen a small uptick in the last few days. This is reflective of the regional and national picture. Our local case rates are above the South West average but remain below the England average. In line ...

Dorset communities are being reminded that there is no fuel shortage in the county and no need to panic buy. Concerns about a shortage of fuel has led to an increase in the number of motorists visiting filling stations across the county. This has caused long queues and congestion on roads throughout Friday 24 September 2021, ...

Officers investigating a serious injury road traffic collision near Weymouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage to come forward. Dorset Police received a report at 10.34am on Friday 24 September 2021 in relation to a collision on the B3157 Coast Road, near to the turning to Grove Lane between Portesham and Chickerell. The ...

The Dorchester Household Recycling Centre is set to close for the afternoon on Wednesday 29 September. The Louds Mill site will be closed from midday on the Wednesday for on-site works, and will not re-open until the following day (Thursday 30 September, 9am). Members of the public who planned to visit at this time are being asked ...

A £18,000 donation from grant-giving charity Talbot Village Trust has allowed local event, Planet Purbeck Festival, to go ahead for the first time this week. Running from 20-26th September 2021, the free-to-attend event taking place across the Purbeck area aims to increase awareness and encourage people to make more planet-conscious choices. The grant provided by Talbot Village ...

Friends of Dorset County Hospital have raised an incredible £20,000 to purchase a new ultrasound machine for the Rheumatology Department. The machine will be able to assist in the early diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks healthy tissues causing pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis affects ...

Is your child due to start Secondary or Upper school next September? If so Dorset Council advise that you need to apply by 31 October 2021 for the best chance of getting a place at their preferred school. This applies to all children moving from primary to secondary school, or middle to upper school in ...

97 year old West Dorset resident Ken Symonds received a welcome surprise on Saturday this week: the Bomber Command Clasp he should have received for his heroism in action over 75 years ago, presented to him by Local MP Chris Loder. Squadron Leader Mr Symonds’ neighbour decided to act after finding out he had not received ...

Dorset Council reports that twelve rural roads are being reconstructed this autumn thanks to the Department for Transport’s Pothole Fund. Dorset Highways has identified roads that have evolved from tracks and have very little construction, and have significant cracking, undulation or pothole damage, for permanent repair. This programme of work will use in-situ recycling to strengthen the ...

Solent Coastguard received a mobile phone 999 call from a vessel off of Portland Bill requesting help as they had broken down. Weymouth RNLI all-weather lifeboat ‘Ernest and Mabel’ was launched at 1.55pm on Sunday 19th September to go to the aid of the motor yacht which had set off from Portland Marina for a day ...

The family of a man who died in a fatal road traffic collision in Weymouth have paid tribute to their loved one. Dorset Police received a report at around 4.15pm on Saturday 4 September 2021 of a collision at the Veasta roundabout on the A354 Dorchester Road involving two motorcycles. The rider of a blue Yamaha, named ...

Weymouth Lifeboat station played host to a very welcome visitor on Saturday 18th September when Clive Millward visited the station. Originally, the day was meant to be the date of the naming ceremony of Weymouth’s new Atlantic 85 inshore Lifeboat. However for several reasons the ceremony had to be postponed to next spring. Clive had intended to ...

The Boys’ Brigade in Dorchester is back with a clear message – “We’re open”. The group provides opportunities for children and young people to learn, grow and discover in a safe, fun and caring environment. There’s opportunities to develop skills, build confidence, make friends, work towards awards, make a difference in the local community and of ...

We have seen a decrease in COVID-19 cases in both the Dorset Council area and BCP Council area over the last week. Both Dorset Council and BCP Council case rates are below the average for the South West and England. Hospitalisations related to COVID-19 have also decreased to 30 over the last week, down from ...

Dorset County Hospital has been ranked as one of the top 10 in the country for emergency care. The 2020 Urgency and Emergency Care Survey looked at the experiences of patients who attended DCH’s Emergency Department between November 2020 and March 2021, in comparison with 126 others. The results ranked DCH above most other hospitals for eight ...

Dorset Council is asking residents, landowners and visitors for their views and ideas to help shape the next Dorset Rights of Way Improvement Plan, and has provided the following information: The Dorset Rights of Way Improvement Plan is the prime means for Dorset Council, as the Local Highway Authority, to identify and prioritise actions to develop ...

Weymouth All-weather lifeboat Ernest and Mabel was launched at 12.30pm on Wednesday 15th September to assist a person stuck on rocks. Solent Coastguard requested Weymouth lifeboat to be launched to help a young man who was stuck on rocks below the cliffs to the West of Pulpit Rock at Portland Bill. On arrival the volunteer lifeboat crew ...

On Thursday 16th September James Benson-King will be setting out to complete what he’s named the ‘Tour De Dorset’ Charity Bike Ride. A 330km/205m ride around the perimeter of Dorset scaling 4500m/15,000ft of elevation in a single day to raise money for Cardiac Risk in the Young. James will be completing the cycle solo with support ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is supporting Gas Safety Week (13 – 19 September 2021) to raise awareness of the importance of gas safety, as well as highlighting how the public can ensure they keep themselves safe from dangerous gas appliances. 2021 marks the 11th year of Gas Safety Week, a campaign coordinated by ...

Patient safety is being increasingly enhanced across Dorset, thanks to the growth of the county’s shared health and care record. More than 40,000 patient records within the Dorset Care Record were viewed during August, enabling professionals to have the most up to date health and social care information. And more than 3,000 health and social care professionals ...

The annual Weldmar Summer Fete usually takes place in September, and one of the highlights is the regular visit from actor Martin Clunes. He would make his way around the stalls in the meadow, pose for countless photographs, and visit every patient currently staying at their Inpatient Unit. Martin also donates a walk-on part on his ...

Dr Jon Murden, Executive Director of Dorset Museum, will be leaving the Museum after 12 years to take on a new role as the chief executive of the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu in Hampshire. Dr Murden has said to staff this morning that “It is with not inconsiderable sadness that I have to tell you ...

Weymouth RNLI all weather lifeboat, Ernest and Mabel, was launched at 5.04pm on Saturday 11th September at the request of Solent Coastguard, to investigate reports of a yacht in trouble in The Race at Portland Bill. This notorious area of water just off Portland Bill, where different currents meet and at certain times of the tide ...

Only call 999 in a genuine, life-threatening emergency. The South Western Ambulance Service is currently experiencing a high demand on the 999 emergency services across the South West area. This week the service declared a major incident due to demand, but have today have stood down from this major incident status. So they can continue to help those ...

Public Health Dorset report that they have seen a slight rise in COVID-19 cases in the Dorset Council area this week and a small decline in COVID-19 case rates across the BCP Council area. Both Dorset Council and BCP Council case rates are below the average for the South West and England. Hospitalisations related to ...

A Nottinghamshire motor trader who sold an unroadworthy tipper truck and misled a buyer in Portland has been ordered to pay £3850 pounds in compensation, fines and costs. On 9 September 2021 at Poole Magistrates’ Court, Andrew James Ostolski, aged 41 of Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire pleaded guilty to offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the ...

Detectives investigating a knifepoint robbery in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. Dorset Police received a report at 10.38pm on Tuesday 7 September 2021 of a robbery in Chickerell Road. It was reported that the victim – an 18-year-old man – was riding his bicycle when he was approached by a ...

A man who was seriously injured in a road traffic collision in Weymouth has sadly died. At around 4.15pm on Saturday 4 September 2021 a collision occurred at the Veasta roundabout on the A354 Dorchester Road involving two motorcycles that were reportedly travelling together. The rider of a blue Yamaha, a man aged in his 50s and ...

Two people have been arrested following drugs warrants executed by officers in the Dorchester area. Local officers secured the warrants under section 8 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act and attended the properties in Puddletown and Poundbury on the morning of Tuesday 7 September 2021. A large quantity of suspected cannabis was reportedly located at the ...

Solent Coastguard requested that Weymouth RNLI all-weather lifeboat launch to investigate reports of two paddleboarders in difficulties approx. 1 mile out to sea from Chesil Cove Portland. The lifeboat was launched at 3.30pm on Tuesday 6th September and was on scene some 25 minutes later at approximately 3.55pm, 1.2 miles from Chesil Cove. They found the ...

Officers investigating a suspicious incident in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. The incident occurred at around 11pm on Saturday 28 August 2021 on Dorchester Road, by a bus stop near to Weymouth Community Hospital. It was reported that a woman aged in her 20s was walking to the bus ...

Heritage Open Days, England’s largest festival of history and culture, will return this year from the 10th to the 19th September 2021. To celebrate entry to Dorset Museum is going to be completely free for one day only on the 12th of September 2021, giving visitors the chance to talk to staff, see our newly reimagined ...

The Coroner for Dorset is seeking the assistance of the public to find the next of kin of a man who lived in Dorchester. Andrew Gibbons, who was 51 years old, died at his home address in Heathcote Close on Saturday 4 September 2021. His death is not being treated as suspicious and no police investigation is ...

Officers investigating a fatal road traffic collision in West Dorset are appealing for witnesses or anyone with relevant dashcam footage to come forward. Dorset Police received a report at 9.06pm on Monday 6 September 2021 of a single vehicle collision involving a yellow Renault tractor, which was equipped with a front end loader and a rear ...

Cancer charity, GO Girls, is urging improved, earlier diagnosis for women with ovarian cancer as part of its new #beheard campaign for Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month (1st – 30th Sept 2021), as ovarian cancer has one of the longest intervals between referral and start of treatment. Alison Green, aged 49, and a member of the GO ...

Over the past couple of weeks we have started to see a decrease in COVID-19 case rates across the county. Both Dorset Council and BCP Council area case rates are below the average for the South West, as some other areas in the region have experienced a spike in cases recently. Hospitalisations related to COVID-19 ...

A whole week of activities are planned for Heritage Open Days in Dorchester from next weekend. HOD2021 – A Taste of Dorchester, which will run from Sunday, 12th to Saturday, 18th September. Heritage Open Days is England’s largest festival of history and culture, and this year’s theme is `Edible England’ – a great chance to explore ...

Weymouth RNLI all-weather lifeboat was launched at 0.35am on Friday 3rd September to search for an overdue motor vessel with seven people on board. The vessel with 2 adults and 5 children onboard was believed to be making its way to Weymouth from Shell Bay Poole where it had been towed by Swanage lifeboat the day ...

The construction industry has seen a huge surge during the pandemic. Homeowners with more cash in their pockets than normal are considering extensions or changes to their homes because working from home has become the future. Last month planning applications rose in every English region compared to July 2020. This follows a bumper start to the ...

Smartphone technology is helping South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) to reach patients virtually within seconds. Clinicians in the ambulance control rooms are asking some 999 callers to use their phone camera to help them to assess the patient’s injuries or illness and decide what treatment is required. With their permission the caller is sent ...

KeeP 106 is pleased to say that the Dorchester Repair Café is back and will be operating at the Sunninghill Community Hall from 10am – 12pm on 26th September, with their trusty band of volunteer repairers. After that the sessions will be on the last Sunday of the month. The organisers are hoping to get as ...

Weymouth RNLI all-weather lifeboat was launched at 5.26pm on Tuesday 31st August to go to the aid of a vessel taking on water. Solent Coastguard received a Pan Pan radio message from a 37’ racing yacht stating that they were in a position 2 miles South West of the West Shambles buoy and were taking on ...

Last year, Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance were tasked to 2,016 incidents. Their critical care team also provided 38 time-critical inter-hospital transfers and administered blood products to 35 patients, drastically improving their chances of getting to hospital alive. With no direct Government or National Lottery funding, they rely on the generosity of the public to ...

Officers investigating a collision in Dorchester involving a pedestrian and a lorry are appealing for witnesses to come forward. Dorset Police was called at 9.22am on Tuesday 31 August 2021 to reports of an injury collision in Weymouth Avenue near to Tesco involving a pedestrian who was directing a heavy goods vehicle and became entangled with ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) is again supporting the national Chimney Fire Safety Week, which runs this year from 30 August until 5 September. Organised by HETAS – the Heating Equipment Testing and Approvals Scheme – as part of the Government’s Fire Kills campaign, the awareness week calls for homeowners to act responsibly ...

Weymouth RNLI All-Weather lifeboat was launched at 4.00pm on Thursday 26th August at the request of Solent Coastguard to medivac a 20-year-old male from a Sailing Training vessel just outside of Portland Harbour. The 23m vessel was unable to berth in Portland Harbour so, following a doctor’s advice, the yacht skipper requested the lifeboat so that ...

Dorset Council is urging private landlords and owners of second homes to come forward if they can provide suitable accommodation for the Afghan relocation scheme. The takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban has prompted a mass evacuation of Afghan citizens and a government relocation scheme has recently been announced to help eligible families remain safe following ...

Officers who were taking part in an operation to tackle suspected county lines drug dealers in Weymouth have arrested two people and seized a significant quantity of suspected illegal drugs. At around 4pm on Wednesday 25 August 2021 officers from Dorset Police’s CLIMATE (County Lines Investigation and Management Team) and neighbourhood policing teams were taking part ...