News Archive

There’s been another cliff fall just east of Seatown . About 300m of the cliff has been affected including the coast path. The path has been cordoned off as the area remains dangerous. The cliff is still very unstable and more is expected to be lost. Walkers have been asked to take notice of safety signs. Visit Dorset ...

Officers investigating an incident where a rock was thrown from a bridge onto the windscreen of a moving car in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses to come forward. The incident occurred on the A345 between the Jurassic Roundabout and Veasta Rounabout at around 3.40pm on Wednesday 7 April 2021. The victim was a taxi driver in a ...

Candidates standing in this year’s Police Crime Commissioner elections and some town and parish council by-elections in Dorset have been published. Five candidates have been announced for the Police Crime Commissioner (PCC) election. See the Statements of Persons Nominated From Thursday 15 April, details about the candidates in the PCC for Dorset election will be available at ...

Weymoth RNLI lifeboat shop is open today for the first time in a year. They are only open daily this week from 10.30am to 4.00pm and then will only open on Saturday and Sunday’s until later in the season. Social Distance to be respected. Teresa Drage, chair of the events committee, said “We are really excited to ...

From today 12 April, we are entering phase 2 of the easing of lockdown restrictions. Non-essential shops and personal care premises, including hairdressers and nail salons will reopen. Outdoor hospitality venues, including pubs and restaurants will be open for table service only. Public buildings, such as libraries, outdoor attractions, including zoos and theme parks, will also ...

Crews from the South Western Ambulance Service and the Air Ambulance responded to reports of an injured walker on Maiden Castle. The incident occurred this morning (Sunday 11 April 2021) at approximately 10AM. It’s understood that a lady fell and broke her ankle, whilst walking around the monument, and that considerable time had passed before she was ...

Dorset Police have released a further update in relation to North Dorset murder investigation – man charged Dorset Police received a report at 7.30pm on Wednesday 7 April 2021 raising concern for the welfare of the occupants of an address in Higher Langham near Gillingham. Officers attended the address and found a man aged in his 80s ...

Officers investigating reports of suspicious behaviour in Dorchester have identified and spoken to the man involved. It was first reported on Monday 15 March 2021 that a man had been approaching female staff members from Dorset County Hospital outside the hospital in the area of Bridport Road between the hours of around 12pm and 2.30pm and ...

On a bright and quite fresh day, some towns and cities across the UK honoured the passing of HRH Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh with a 41 gun salute, while Dorchester along with churches across the country paid their respects with the sounding of a respectfully muffled bell 99 times, one strike for each year of his long life. In ...

Detectives investigating an incident at an address near Gillingham where a man died and a woman was critically injured are issuing an update. Dorset Police received a report at 7.30pm on Wednesday 7 April 2021 raising concern for the welfare of the occupants of an address in Higher Langham. Officers attended the address and found a man ...

KeeP 106 has received statements from both Dorset Council and Dorset Police following the death of The Duke of Edinburgh: Statement from Dorset Council: It is with great sadness The Chairman of Dorset Council, Cllr Val Pothecary,  shares news from Buckingham Palace that our much-loved Duke of Edinburgh, died today, Friday 9 April 2021 at the age of 99. The following statement was issued by the press secretary at Buckingham Palace: “It ...

One of the UK’s richest men has been stabbed to death. Sir Richard Sutton, 83, suffered stab wounds at a property near Gillingham, Dorset, about 19:30 BST on Wednesday. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A woman, in her 60s, was also stabbed and remains in a critical condition. A 34-year-old man, from Gillingham, has been ...

Fish ‘n’ Fritz have been named one of the UK’s 50 Best Fish & Chip Takeaways 2021 – the only chippy in the Weymouth area to make the prestigious list. The accolade follows an extensive search by leading trade publication Fry Magazine to find those chippies serving up the finest fish suppers amidst a tough ...

Emily Gascoigne of Synergy Farm Health in Evershot, near Dorchester has been named Farm Educator of the Year in the Ceva Animal Welfare Awards. Emily, who is a RCVS Recognised Specialist in Sheep Health and Production, is known for going the extra mile to share her knowledge with local farmers as well as other vets. ...

Officers investigating a burglary at a building site in Dorchester are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. Between 6pm on Wednesday 7 April and 7.30am on Thursday 8 April 2021 a burglary occurred at an address that is being renovated off Alington Road. An internal door has been forced to gain entry to ...

Dorchester Sports Centre, on Coburg Road is planning to re-open the gym and swimming pool to customers, in line with government guidelines following almost 4 long months. Dorchester Sports Centre started its first phase of reopening last Monday (March 29) with a hugely successful reopening of its outdoor pitches. Attracting almost 80% of previous clubs and ...

Just after 01:00 this morning (Wednesday) a fire crew from Dorchester station was sent to a property fire in The Moor, Puddletown. When the crew arrived they discovered a well established fire that had originated in the kitchen and was spreading rapidly. The occupant of the house was safely outside. Crews from Bere Regis Fire Station were also ...

The South Dorset Ramblers are inviting people to join them now that they can resume organized walks. Following the relaxation of certain lockdown restrictions Ramblers can now walk again in organized groups of up to 30 people. All walks will be Covid compliant with the required social distancing, risk assessments and contact tracing. David Price, Publicity Officer ...

Heavy machinery continues to demolish empty buildings such as the Condor Ferry buildings shown in the video below by Geoff Moore. The dilapidated structure has been empty since Condor Ferries operated their cross channel service to The Channel Islands and France from the town. Those services were switched to Poole in 2015 since Weymouth port was ...

Over 60 firefighters have been tackling a 200m x 200m heath fire at White Sheet Plantation, near Wimborne. Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) was called at 4.48pm on 5 April for the fire, which was spreading quickly due to the dry and windy conditions. As at 8pm (Monday 5th April), there were fire crews ...

A special hotline set up to help people get online during the first lockdown is celebrating its first anniversary. Three lockdowns later and the Dorset Digital Hotline has now helped almost 1,000 people. Behind the hotline is a team of dedicated volunteer Digital Champions who were forced to give up their library clinics when lockdown saw ...

Ambitious plans to improve the lives of Dorset children with SEND (special educational needs and or a disability) and reduce future costs have been unveiled. A total of £37.5m has been secured for the next five years to help deliver the council’s aim, set out in its Children’s Plan, of providing the best education for Dorset ...

The Force would like to thank organisers and participants following peaceful protests in Bournemouth and Weymouth during the Easter weekend. The events took place at around 1pm on Saturday 3 April 2021 in The Square in Bournemouth and in Weymouth town centre without any reports of public order incidents. Leading up to the protests officers liaised with ...

Detectives investigating the circumstances of the deaths of a woman in Weymouth and a man on Portland are issuing an update. Dorset Police was called at 5.40pm on Thursday 1 April 2021 by the ambulance service to a report that a woman had been found injured at an address in Ranelagh Road in Weymouth. Very sadly, the ...

Free parking arrangements for NHS and care workers will remain in place through to the end of June 2021. NHS and care workers can continue to use any Dorset Council-operated car park free of charge, provided they are on duty and displaying a relevant permit, or they have registered with Dorset Council. Originally run for a limited ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward following a series of thefts of catalytic converters from vehicles in the Dorchester area. The incidents occurred between around 9.45pm and 11pm on Wednesday 31 March 2021. Vehicles were targeted in Knighton Lane in Broadmayne, Rectory Road and Paynes Close in Piddlehinton and Broken ...

Both Dorset Council and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council areas have seen a slight fall in case rates this week. Both areas are now below the average rate for the South West and significantly lower than the England average. Whilst it is good news that our case rates have fallen over recent weeks, as restrictions start to ...

Officers investigating reports of suspicious behaviour involving a man in Dorchester are appealing for anyone with information to come forward. It was first reported on Monday 15 March 2021 that a man had been approaching female staff members from Dorset County Hospital outside the hospital in the area of Bridport Road between the hours of around ...

Dorset residents can still ask for help if they need it, as shielding ended today (1 April). Advice for people considered clinically extremely vulnerable because of COVID-19 changes from 1 April as the numbers of new cases continues to fall. Residents in this category will receive a letter from the government, if they haven’t already, advising them ...

Dorset Police’s Chief Constable is thanking the county’s communities for all they have done over the last year during the national fight against COVID-19. On Monday 29 March 2021 the Government’s stay at home restriction was lifted and people are now allowed to meet others outside, including in gardens, in groups of up to six people ...

Do our listeners remember the Sealink ferry service from Weymouth and the old ticket office? With the Weymouth Peninsular site continuing to be cleared the video below shows the last remaining moments of the Sealink ticket office. With thanks to Ken Francis for sending the video to KeeP 106. According to Dorset Council’s website “The Weymouth ...

The museum is getting ready to open your new £16.1million redeveloped Dorset Museum, but they can’t do it without a dedicated team of volunteers to support the museum staff. Your new Museum is bigger than ever before and they are looking to increase the number of volunteers in the following visitor facing roles: Welcome Desk: Be the ...

This Easter, Dorset Council are warning potential visitors to their Household Recycling Centres (HRCs, or “the tip”) to expect long delays, and are advising to postpone your “trip to the tip” if possible. Social distancing measures will remain in place at all the Council’s 10 HRCs across the county, which reduce how many people can be ...

Dorset Fire and Rescue and South Western Ambulance Service were called by Dorset Police to a road traffic collision at 10.20pm Tuesday 30 March at Maiden Newton. On arrival there was a single person was trapped in an overturned vehicle on Dorchester Road. Two crews from Dorchester fire station were mobilised to investigate, and upon their arrival ...

Officers investigating a burglary at a restaurant in Dorchester are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. A break-in occurred at the Kao San Thai Restaurant in High West Street between 9pm on Sunday 28 March and 9am on Monday 29 March 2021. It is believed entry was gained through the rear of ...

A main network fault meant power was lost in parts of Weymouth and Dorchester this afternoon at approximately 4.20 (30th March) with over 60,000 customers affected. Engineers were aware and expected power to be restored by 7.30 pm. Scottish and Southern Networks advised that wide-spread areas had been affected including DT3 and DT4 post code areas. ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward after a report of suspicious activity in Weymouth. Between 8.25am and 8.30am on Friday 26 March 2021 an 11-year-old girl was walking on Portland Road toward the Foords Corner roundabout when a black or dark-coloured saloon car pulled up alongside her. It is reported that ...

Firefighters and officers are urging residents who might be out and about this Easter to respect, protect and enjoy our outdoor spaces to prevent wildfires. As the weather gets warmer and the daylight hours get longer, firefighters start to see an increase in fires in our outdoor spaces. In 2020, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue ...

Established 2 years ago, the Dorset Carers Hub supports unpaid carers across Dorset. The mental health of unpaid carers is always a challenge and to that end they are organising a picnic to be held in Maumbury Rings in Dorchester on Saturday 26th June. This follows the national Carers Week, from 7th to 13th June, ...

There have been more suspected attempted thefts of catalytic converters in villages on the outskirts of Dorchester. Reports on social media claim suspicious activity was noted in Bere Regis, Puddletown and Winterborne Stickland involving a blue Volvo car. One worried resident said: “Two villages have seen the Volvo which seems to be occupied ...

Yesterday, Friday 26th March, emergency teams including the Air Ambulance, Coastguards, Police and Fire Crews descended on the bulk carrier Beks Yilmaz at Portland Port in response to an incident. It has been reported that a man has sadly died after being found in a vat of grain in a hold of the ship. Police have ...

COVID-19 case rates across Dorset have remained at similar levels this week, with a slight fall in the case rate for the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council area. Case rates for both council areas are lower than the England average and around the same as the South West average. COVID-related hospital admissions and deaths continue ...

A man has been jailed for racially abusing and spitting toward a family visiting Bridport. Daniel Lavery, aged 39 and of South Walk, Bridport, was sentenced at Weymouth Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 25 March 2021 after admitting offences of using racially aggravated threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause fear of or ...

Dorset Police has launched a new programme to protect victims of domestic abuse by disrupting, challenging and changing the behaviours of serial offenders and those deemed to be the most high-risk. The DRIVE programme, which is delivered by Hampton Trust, is a partnership initiative between Dorset Police, Office of the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, BCP ...

Weymouth RNLI Inshore lifeboat was launched at 7.50pm on Thursday 25th March 2021 to go to the aid of a speedboat with 4 persons onboard which had broken down approximately ½ mile East of Weymouth Harbour. The lifeboat was on scene at 8pm and the lifeboat crew quickly established that all those on board were safe ...

Dorset Police are working with DocBike and Dorset Road Safe Partnership to launch a campaign seeking to buck the trend in springtime biker fatalities. In Dorset, per mile travelled, more motorcyclists will be killed or critically injured than any other road user. Nationally, approximately 10 motorcyclists are killed or seriously injured every day. Dr Ian Mew, ...

Councillors on Dorset Council’s Cabinet are set to discuss recommendations at its meeting on 6 April which could see approval for the banning of disposable BBQs on Dorset land in high fire risk areas across Dorset. The proposals do not recommend a blanket ban on disposable BBQs in the whole of the county, only in areas ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with relevant dashcam footage to come forward following a fatal road traffic collision near Dorchester. Dorset Police was called at 12.32pm on Thursday 25 March 2021 to a report of a collision involving a brown Honda Jazz on Long Street in Cerne Abbas. It is reported that the car was ...

Political and business leaders have welcomed news that rural Dorset will be among the first areas in the country to benefit from the government’s new £5bn gigabit broadband fund. It follows months of behind-the-scenes lobbying for better broadband in Dorset, led by West Dorset MP Chris Loder and Dorset Council’s deputy leader, Cllr Peter Wharf. The funding ...

In recent months Dorset Police has seen a rise in reported stalking offences reflecting a national increase in domestic related incidents. The increase in offences is likely partly due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2020 there have also been changes to the way these offences were recorded, with harassment offences that are ...

The Range is planning to open a new store in Weymouth next month. The new store will be located on the site of the old Debenhams on New Bond Street and is due to open on Friday 30th April. In line with current Government guidelines, additional safety measures will be in place when the store ...

Loneliness is a very current problem for millions of people in this country, a situation made worse by the pandemic. It is an emotive subject which touches many people through family, friends, or communities. Ben Sloyan, a young member of the Dorchester based Casterbridge Speakers Club, gave an impassioned presentation about loneliness at the Toastmasters International ...

A man who attacked a woman and threatened her with a knife as she walked along a coast path in West Dorset has been jailed. Vytautas Ausrota, aged 30 and of Plymouth in Devon, was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Monday 22 March 2021 after admitting offences of threatening with an offensive weapon, committing an ...

The Organisers of the Dorset County Show have announced that a series of events will be hosted across Dorset in place of the main Dorset County Show event this year. Launching in the summer, the diverse programme of events aims to promote Dorset’s renowned agricultural industry, as well as the county’s range of high-quality food and ...

Yesterday afternoon (Saturday 20 Mar 2021), officers detained two males in the Westham area of Weymouth following reports of drug dealing activity in the area. Both males were searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act. During the search a large quantity of cash and suspected Class A drugs were located. Two males, aged 18 and 19, who ...

World Sleep Day took place on 19th March, a celebration of the benefits a good and healthy sleep can bring to our lives. It also aims to help raise awareness of the problems that a bad night’s sleep can bring and help those with sleep problems. The slogan for this year is ‘Regular Sleep, Healthier ...

Parents can get rapid COVID-19 testing. Since schools re-opened on 8 March, secondary school and college students have taken part in initial lateral flow device (LFD) testing at their school or college. They have now been given home test kits to continue testing themselves at home. These tests are for those who show no COVID-19 symptoms. If you are ...

Officers are appealing for anyone with information to come forward after a car window was shattered near Bere Regis. The incident occurred at around 8.25am on Monday 15 March 2021 while the victim was driving along the A35 on the single carriageway between the Townsend roundabout and the Puddletown bypass. It is reported that the passenger ...

Weldmar Hospicecare is launching ‘Weldmar at Home’, a new service described as the local charity’s biggest ever development in patient care, and has launched a major fundraising appeal to help finance it. Working in partnership with Weldmar Community Nurses, the Weldmar at Home team will ensure that care is available in the home, when it is ...

Officers in Weymouth stopped a vehicle earlier today (Thursday 18 March 2021) on the A354 in Wyke Regis. It transpired the driver didn’t have a valid licence or insurance. The vehicle was seized and the driver has been reported for a number of driving offences. Following a search a quantity of drugs were also located. The driver ...