News Archive

Vulnerable families in Dorset will receive help with the costs of food and fuel this winter. Dorset Council has been awarded up to £922,153 from the government’s Covid Winter Grant Scheme to support children and families across the county. Some of this money will be used to make sure families who need it, including those who receive ...

Is your child starting school for the first time or moving onto junior or middle school next year? If you haven’t already done so, you need to apply by 15 January. The admissions pages on the Dorset Council website give you all the information you need in order to apply. You can also check out their parents’ guide for ...

The NHS in Dorset is starting to vaccinate people against COVID-19 at Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust from this week at the start of the biggest immunisation programme in history. The Dorset health and care system has been working closely together on plans for some time to prepare and plan for the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out ...

Officers investigating a burglary at a home in a West Dorset village are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. Between around 11am and 3.30pm on Friday 4 December 2020 entry was gained to a property in Beaminster Road in Melplash. The offender carried out a search of the premises and stole a ...

Following extensive discussion by Councillors, Dorset Council has revised the proposed changes to car parking arrangements. After notice was provided to Town and Parish Councils of the proposed changes in mid-October, many people voiced their concerns, especially considering the current financial pressures faced by businesses and regarding the introduction of charges up until 8pm. These recommendations were ...

Detectives are issuing CCTV footage of a man they would like to identify as they continue to investigate a series of indecent exposure offences in the Dorchester and Purbeck areas. At least 40 incidents have been reported since 2002 and officers believe the same offender is responsible. They occur at night and typically involve a man standing ...

Owners of quad bikes in rural Dorset are being urged not to offer up an easy gift to thieves this Christmas and ensure their vehicles are protected. Dorset Police’s Rural Crime Team is issuing advice to owners of All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) and Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTVs) following a spike in offences this time last year. Police Community ...

Damers First School are among the winners in the Education Business Awards which have recently been announced, with schools across the UK recognised for the dedication and hard work of teaching and support staff who have been put under particular pressure by the COVID 19 pandemic. The Education Business Awards, sponsored by LocknCharge, have been recognising ...

The NHS will begin vaccinating patients against coronavirus at dozens of hospital hubs from this week at the start of the biggest immunisation programme in history. People aged 80 and over as well as care home workers will be first to receive the jab, along with NHS workers who are at higher risk. NHS staff are working ...

Dorchester Police Witness Appeal Officers in Dorchester are appealing for witnesses for a case of careless driving which happened in the area of Weymouth Avenue near to Sawmills lane, between the Cricket Club and Car Sales Forecourt on Thursday 3rd December 2020 at around 19:00 hours. We are particularly keen to know whether anyone captured any dash ...

Local officers are appealing for information following a spate of break-ins to vans in Crossways. A total of five incidents were reported in the area on Saturday 28 November, Sunday 29 November and Monday 30 November 2020. The incidents occurred during the hours of darkness and items stolen from vans include power tools and gardening tools. Police Community ...

Dorset Police is unveiling its renewed commitment to ensure local officers engage and communicate with their communities. A series of plans under the Neighbourhood Engagement Contract (NEC) initiative are being published over the coming weeks on the relevant neighbourhood policing pages of www.dorset.police.uk. The NEC sets out eight minimum standards and common objectives that each neighbourhood policing ...

Dorset’s food banks, businesses and community groups urged to register with Help and Kindness. Does your business or community group play a role in the supply of food or medicine to people in Dorset? If yes, please register your organisation’s details on the Help and Kindness website to support local residents this winter. The effort to boost ...

Locals and visitors in Dorset will soon be able to top up with tap water for free, thanks to new Wessex Water refill points. A unit was recently installed at the bottom of South Street in Dorchester with additional points due to be installed in Bridport and Blandford Forum in the new year. Earlier in the ...

After months of pressure from West Dorset MP Chris Loder, plans to ban the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening have been unveiled by the Government Environment Secretary today (3 December), in the start of a renewed push by the Government to strengthen the UK’s position as a world leader on animal welfare. The ...

Dorset Council are joining forces with other local authorities across the south west region this Christmas to call for more people to consider becoming foster carers. According to The Fostering Network, there are 6,140 children in care in the south west and 2,650 fostering households, with many more needed. Local authorities from Dorset, Bath and North East ...

The COVID-19 mobile testing unit at Weymouth Park and Ride will be moving to Swannery Car Park in Weymouth on Saturday 5 December. The unit is being relocated to Swannery Car Park to provide increased access to testing for residents in Weymouth who may find it hard to access existing testing sites due to not having ...

Dorset’s touring arts charity, Artsreach, has released details of its special Christmas gift to audiences across the County this winter; a series of performances available to enjoy online in the comfort of your own home, from Christmas classics and comic theatre to a seasonal celebration with a truly Dorset twist! Catch the festive musical comedy ‘Christmas.Time.’ ...

To help shoppers return to high streets across Dorset for their Christmas shopping, Dorset Council is offering three days of free parking this December. Town centre car parks across the Dorset Council area will be free on Saturdays 5, 12 and 19 December 2020. This also includes Small Business Saturday. Cllr Ray Bryan, Portfolio Holder for Highways, ...

Last week a local mum partnered with Weymouth Rotary Club to send a really positive message to parents, teachers, and children. They did this via a free copy of a very special book and an encouraging letter, sent to all local primary school Head Teachers. Here is the letter as well as some further helpful information. Dear ...

Dorset Police is running the annual Christmas drink and drug driving campaign from Tuesday 1 December 2020 through to Friday 1 January 2021. Officers want to raise awareness of the inherent dangers involved in drink and drug driving by encouraging people to take responsibility for their actions this Christmas. Throughout the month-long operation, officers will be requesting ...

An appeal for children’s winter coats and warm pyjamas launches this Friday to keep children cosy at Christmas. 2020 has been a tough year for so many people and Dorset Council wants to make it just a little bit better for children and families in Dorset. That’s why they are asking for those who can, to ...

Midwives from across Dorset are encouraging pregnant people to get their free flu jab this winter. As we head towards a winter with COVID-19, it’s more important than ever for people to get a flu jab and protect themselves, their friends and families, and the NHS – particularly if you are expecting a baby. Flu is very ...

Dorset-based holiday park operator, Waterside Holiday Group, has submitted a planning application to Dorset Council for an 18-acre park expansion at Waterside Holiday Park & Spa at Bowleaze Cove in Weymouth. The application proposes a development of an 18-acre area which sits adjacent to the existing park. Plans include the installation of a mix of premium ...

All 23 Dorset Council libraries will be open from Wednesday 2 December. All the opening times can be found at www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/libraries and customers are advised to check the times for their local library before setting off. Although not back to their full pre-COVID opening hours, nine locations will also be open some afternoons. These are: Dorchester, Ferndown, ...

Officers investigating a fail-to-stop road traffic collision in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with relevant dashcam footage to come forward. At around 8.30pm on Sunday 29 November 2020 a collision occurred in Rodwell Avenue in which a parked Audi A3 was struck by another vehicle. The Audi sustained scratches to its side and damage to ...

For a fourth consecutive year, Weldmar Hospicecare will be collecting and recycling real Christmas trees from across Dorset in early January. In return for a suggested donation of just £10, trees can be collected from home and business addresses, between Thursday 7th and Sunday 10th January. This year, the initiative is being supported by Trinity St. Christmas ...

The Fire Investigation Report from Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) has detailed how the major fire at Crookhill waste depot, on Sunday 15 November, occurred. The report concludes that the accidental fire started around 1:20pm under the bonnet of one of the waste collection vehicles, most likely caused by the heavy rainstorms and ...

The Dolphin Shopping Centre in Poole has welcomed the opening of a storage unit by Poole Food Bank on Kingland Crescent, which previously housed Argos. The unit will be used as a storage facility for the charity, due to a rise in demand for food across the county. Nick Bold, Project Manager at Faithworks, said: “This new ...

In March 2020 just before the UK went into lockdown a conversation between strangers on WhatsApp snowballed into an emergency Covid food relief scheme that reached thousands across Dorset. The group became known as Dorchester Community Kitchen and, with Christmas fast approaching, has now grown in to something even stronger – Community Share, a space ...

More than half of the older population in the South West are concerned they won’t see friends and family. Age UK North, South & West Dorset calls for vital donations so it can be there for those who have no one to turn to. New findings show the public has stepped up to support older people ...

A second lockdown has been made a lot easier for some of Dorset’s most clinically vulnerable residents, thanks to the gift of free tablet devices. Earlier in the year Dorset Council teamed up with Everyone Connected to identify people who were previously shielding and would most benefit from receiving free tablets. Beryl Davies from Sturminster Newton ...

Bryanston School near Blandford has been highlighted as one of the top ‘Rising Stars’ in a new report that assesses the role played by a school and its teachers in helping to determine future high achievement of pupils. Significantly, the report from Keystone Tutors, entitled ‘Does alma still matter – The schools educating the nation’s elite’, ...

The Government has announced that the Dorset Council area will exit out of national restrictions (lockdown) into Tier 2 (High Alert) on Wednesday 2 December. The main restrictions under Tier 2 are: no mixing of households indoors, apart from support bubbles pubs and bars must remain closed, unless operating as restaurants We understand that the Government will review ...

The Christmas Lights and Reindeer Experience, a new festive event is fundraising for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance after the organiser was saved by the emergency service. Anne Roots, who is staging the month-long light show with her son Julian Hubbuck at Nutley Farm, near Winfrith Newburgh from 3rd December, is helping to give something ...

Officers investigating a fail-to-stop collision in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. At around 3.55pm on Sunday 22 November 2020 a green Volkswagen Golf was involved in a collision with a silver Volkswagen Golf on Spa Road near to the junction with Kings Road. It is reported that the silver Volkswagen ...

The residents of Queens Avenue, Dorchester are adding a bit of extra Christmas Community Cheer and Festive Fun to their road this year! 23 households plus Dorchester Middle School are each designing and decorating a window that can be seen from the road to create an Advent Calendar. All the windows will be on display from Tuesday ...

A burglar caught by officers after he broke into a Weymouth store has been jailed. Jonathan William Tagart, aged 41 and of Park Estate Road, Portland, was sentenced to 12 months in prison at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday 20 November 2020 after admitting offences of burglary and possession of a bladed article in a public ...

Officials from Public Health Dorset, Dorset Council and BCP Council will be broadcasting together this Thursday night (26 November), after the Government has announced which tier the area will be in once lockdown ends on 2 December. Director of Public Health Dorset, Sam Crowe, Aidan Dunn, Executive Director for Corporate Development at Dorset Council and Cllr ...

A consultation to help develop the future of Dorset Council’s Tourist Information Centres (TICs) has been extended until Sunday 3 January 2021. The consultation covers the three centres – based in Dorchester, Sherborne and Wareham. The consultation was originally planned to run until the end of November. However, the current national lockdown has led to further travel ...

Dorset Police will be sharing live real-time updates of calls to service and enquiries received by the Force during a 12-hour Tweetathon. The event will run from 2pm on Friday 27 November 2020 and will highlight the significant and varied demand the Force faces on a daily basis – particularly while policing the COVID-19 pandemic. In the ...

The construction of Wessex Water’s Martin’s Down service reservoir near Dorchester has advanced since the project began earlier this year. The new service reservoir, which will hold 1.5 million litres of water, is replacing an existing smaller tank and will be buried out of sight in the picturesque countryside. Construction began in April and is expected to ...

Dorchester’s Brewery Square has announced it is switching up its annual Christmas lights event this year with a special virtual celebration, hosted by Mr Bloom from CBeebies. The Brewery Square Virtual Lights Switch On will take place on Saturday 28th November at 5:15pm, where shoppers can tune in to watch the broadcast on the Square’s official ...

Every year thousands of people die from the flu. The best way to keep yourself and your loved ones protected from flu is by getting a flu vaccine. Many people are eligible for a free flu vaccine as they are more at risk of getting the illness. People eligible for a free flu vaccine are: adults over ...

The licensing of the new Team Rector for Dorchester and the Winterbournes, the Rev’d Keith Magee, went ahead as planned at St Peter’s Church on Sunday 22nd November at 3pm. The service was conducted by the Bishop of Salisbury, and only 5 others attended – the Archdeacon, St Peter’s Churchwardens, Patron’s representative and Keith. The service was ...

Let’s Talk is a way that parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can discuss new developments, voice their opinions, and help decide future plans that effect their families. The next event will be held online on Wednesday 2 December at 10am to 11am. This event will cover ...

The work has been brought forward to take advantage of quieter roads while drivers stay at home during the current restrictions, with the resurfacing originally scheduled to take place in January 2021. From Monday 23 November, Bridport Road will be closed in sections throughout the week. On Monday and Tuesday, Bridport Road will be closed from 9am ...

Dorset County Museum is appealing for donations to help save part of a mosaic which was found in a Roman villa in Dorset. The 1,600-year-old Roman floor panel showing a leopard attacking an antelope was unearthed by archaeologists in Dewlish in 1974. The mosaic, measuring 2m by 2.4m, was discovered in the grounds of Dewlish House and ...

Poundbury-based Key Digital are facilitating a virtual panel discussion on 1st December 2020 to help businesses share lessons learnt from two national lockdowns and thrive in 2021 and beyond. Key Digital have opened their doors in the past for their Unlock networking events which are normally held at the company’s headquarters in Poundbury. This time the ...

Businesses in Dorset can now sign up to be part of the new South West Cyber Resilience Centre (SWCRC), established to help businesses and charities better protect themselves against cybercrime. The police led initiative, in partnership with the private sector and academia, is part of a network of centres being established across England and Wales to ...

Dedicated COVID-19 police patrols are now operating across Dorset in a bid to reassure our communities and maintain public safety during the pandemic. Operation Tattoo will see a dedicated COVID-19 car operating across the Force, seven days a week to deal with any COVID-19 related issues, provide support to partners and encourage the public to abide ...

Dorset Police is reassuring members of the public that a full and detailed policing plan is in place to prevent unlawful protests in the county. The planned protest at Bournemouth Town Hall on Saturday 14 November 2020 did not take place as a result of positive action by officers, which included cordoning off the area and ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is proud to have received Community Awards from the High Sheriff of Dorset, George Streatfeild, and the High Sheriff of Wiltshire, Major General Ashley Truluck. These were presented at the Service’s virtual awards celebration held on 3 November. High Sheriffs customarily make awards during their year in office, to recognise ...

Dorset Council is pleased to announce that bin collections in Weymouth and Portland will begin to resume from tomorrow (Tuesday 17 November). Following the major fire at our Crookhill depot in Chickerell, all bin collections were suspended as 16 collection vehicles were destroyed or heavily damaged in the blaze last Sunday. However, Council officers have worked tirelessly over ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is working in partnership with several other organisations to support National Road Safety Week, which is running between 16 and 22 November. The Service is actively involved in both the Wiltshire & Swindon Road Safety Partnership and Dorset Road Safe, and leads on the delivery of the Safe Drive ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses to come forward following a fatal collision in Weymouth. Dorset Police was called at 9.41am on Monday 16 November 2020 to reports of a very serious injury road traffic collision on Lynch Lane involving a pedestrian and a lorry. Very sadly, the pedestrian – a local woman aged in her 50s – ...

Following yesterday’s (Sunday 15 November) fire incident at our Crookhill waste depot in Chickerell, we have begun the process of clearing the site and planning for waste collections in the Weymouth and Portland areas. In total, 21 vehicles were destroyed or heavily damaged. 16 of these were collection vehicles for rubbish, recycling and garden waste. The ...

Are you really worried about how your child is coping with the coronavirus crisis and lockdown? Do you need someone to talk to about how you can help your child and your family? If your answer is “Yes!”  to any of these questions, telephone 01258 474036 to make an appointment for a telephone consultation up to 30-minutes ...

Officers investigating a serious road traffic collision near Bridport are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. The incident happened at 9.40am on Sunday 15 November 2020 on the Coast Road near to the junction of Cogden Beach car park. It involved a red Citroen Berlingo, driven by a local man in his 70s, ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue are dealing with a significant fire in Weymouth at the waste transfer depot involving multiple vehicles. The Fire & Rescue Service are advising residents in the area to keep doors and windows closed. 15 fire crews on scene working hard to prevent the fire spreading further. Residents in the town have ...