News Archive

Officers investigating a serious injury fail-to-stop collision in West Dorset are appealing for witnesses or anyone with relevant dashcam footage to come forward. At 5.45am on Monday 11 November 2019 Dorset Police received a report of a man walking in the road on the A35 at Askerswell. Officers attended and located the man – aged in ...

Weldmar Hospicecare’s Light up a Life services return across Dorset between Wednesday 27th November and Tuesday 10th December. The services provide an opportunity for people to remember loved ones, whether they have been cared for by Weldmar or not. The services combine readings and carol singing, and supported by local musicians and singers at each venue. ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is working in partnership with several other organisations to support National Road Safety Week, which is running between 18 and 24 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 ...

The exercise will be held on Tuesday 19 November in Weymouth Harbour, near the Ferry Steps. The Weymouth Harbour Team arranged the event, which is called ‘Exercise Bowser’. It is part of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s three-yearly requirement to test if services and other organisations can respond effectively to a fuel spill. Keith Howorth, Weymouth Harbour ...

Want to find out the latest on the Weymouth Quay Regeneration Project? Then come along to Weymouth Library and speak to the project team. A public drop in session will take place on Monday 18 November from 2pm until 7pm. The team will talk you through the initial concept drawing for the scheme. They will also show ...

The Environment Agency issued the warning on Thursday and remains in place due to expected heavy rain overnight this evening (Friday). River levels remain high at the Stinsford river gauge as a result of recent rainfall. We expect river levels to remain high, and rivers may respond to any additional rainfall. Consequently, the risk of flooding remains. Areas ...

Officers searching for missing Dorchester man Gary Cooper are pleased to confirm he has been found safe and well. The 38-year-old was reported missing after leaving an address in Fordington at around 4pm on Thursday 14 November 2019. Following searches, he has been found safe and well. We would like to thank everyone who shared our appeal.

Fire crews from Dorchester fire station have been dealing with a car fire this afternoon. Crews have been using 2 hose real jets breathing apparatus to extinguish the car fire on Coombe Road in Winterbourne Steepleton. The cause of the fire is currently unknown but the car has been completely destroyed. There are no reports of injuries. The ...

The Weymouth Promenade Artistic Lighting Scheme is complete. 28 Computer-controlled LED strips have been installed along Weymouth promenade between the Pier Bandstand and the Pavilion. Testing of the Weymouth Promenade Artistic Lighting Scheme completed earlier this week and from 14 November, Weymouth bay will be lit up by a series of lighting programmes inspired by the ...

It’s that time of year again! No, not Christmas (yet) but flu season. For most people flu will clear up on its own relatively quickly, but for some people, including over 65s, pregnant women or people with underlying health conditions, it can be more serious. The flu vaccine is available on the NHS for: . ...

The first meeting of the Steering Group, that was to go on to form the DACLT, took place in March 2017. It has taken over two and a half years to reach this landmark point. A planning application to build 19 affordable one bed flats for rent, including one designed for a person with limited mobility, ...

Dorset is the cleanest place to eat out in Britain – its official! A new hygiene map has revealed that the Dorchester (DT) postcode area has achieved the top food safety score for eating out. Restaurants, hotels and takeaways across the area, which includes Weymouth, Bridport, Lyme Regis, Blandford Forum, Beaminster, Sherborne and Sturminster Newton, achieved an average rating ...

Residents of Dorset are being asked to rethink their drink during Alcohol Awareness Week by Public Health Dorset and partners. Public Health Dorset along with partners such as Poole Hospital, Addaction, EDAS, LiveWell Dorset and BCP Council will be hosting a number of events across the county informing how alcohol can affect society and families. The events ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) has received the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award. The award was presented by the Lord Lieutenants of both Dorset and Wiltshire at separate ceremonies; Army reservist Dean Hoskins, a Watch Manager at Swindon fire station, joined Chief Fire Officer Ben Ansell at the Wiltshire event, while ...

The sun shone on Thomas Hardye’s Remembrance Day Commemoration today and students shone with the respect and dignity they showed in this annual event. Every year the school is proud that there is not a sound to be heard during the two minutes silence. This is from more than 2000 young people. They listen with great respect ...

Jackie and Mike have provided supported lodgings for young people in their home for 25 years. Supported Lodgings is a service that provides a young person with a room of their own in a private home to help prepare them for living on their own. They explain how they became supported lodging carers: “We got into providing a ...

A new local volunteer is offering free one to one courses of a digital flavour based at his own café. Digital sessions are being held on Monday and Tuesday afternoons at The Tangerine Café in Beaminster, a comfortable and relaxing community space which Chris Sims owns with his poet wife Sue. Book your first session or ...

A man who caused suffering to goats, ferrets and poultry by failing to properly care for them on his smallholding in North Dorset has been prosecuted and disqualified from keeping any animals for 10 years. On Wednesday 6 November, at Weymouth Magistrates’ Court, Dennis Thorne (aged 43) of Kington Magna, Gillingham was sentenced to 14 weeks’ ...

Officers sought approval from Cabinet on Tuesday (5 November) to consult the voluntary and community sector (VCS) on a range of funding options for 2020-21, and to review the level of funding to the VCS for future years. At the meeting and following public statements from a variety of voluntary organisations, members of the public and ...

Officers investigating an assault and criminal damage incident in Dorchester are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. The incident took place at around 2pm on Saturday 2 November 2019 in the area of High East Street and followed a minor collision involving a car and a pedestrian. A man, who appeared to be ...

Detectives are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward after thieves used a stolen vehicle to force entry to a Portland store. The incident occurred at around 11.25pm on Wednesday 6 November 2019 at the Co-op store in Fortuneswell. A Land Rover, which was reported as stolen from an address in the Bridport area, ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward after a woman was assaulted and had her purse stolen in a Weymouth street. The incident occurred at around 7pm on Tuesday 5 November 2019 on the Chapelhay Steps, between the Holy Trinity Church and the Chapelhay Tavern. The victim, aged in her 50s, was ...

Anyone wanting to improve their digital skills to stay in touch with friends and family can book for free, one to one help ahead of Christmas. Dorset Council has a network of 75 volunteers who run free, one-to-one computer help sessions in libraries and other venues across the county. They can help with everything from switching ...

Rail users in Dorset are being advised to plan their journeys in December. Workers on South Western Railway have called 27 days of strike action next month. Members of the RMT union will stage walkouts from the 2nd of December until New Year’s Day – threatening chaos for commuters and Christmas travellers. The strikes are part of a ...

The family of a woman who very sadly died following a collision in East Dorset has issued a tribute. Dorset Police was called at 8.41am on Saturday 2 November 2019 to a report of a collision involving a grey Ford B-max and a tree on Verwood Road between the Alderholt turning and the A31. It is ...

A man’s body has been found on a Dorset beach. It’s believed to be connected to the disappearance of a man who was swept away by a wave near Freshwater Beach Holiday park. Dorset police were called at 2.55pm on Sunday over concerns for a man in the water. The man, aged in his 20s, was walking ...

On Monday 30 September, Dorset Police welcomed the first wave of entrants via the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA). The introduction of the PCDA provides a new entry route for those who wish to join Dorset Police as a Police Officer but are not in possession of a degree-level qualification. After approximately 34 weeks of initial training ...

Trains are not currently running between Weymouth and Bournemouth. Reports are that a person has been hit by a train at Moreton. Replacement bus services have been requested by South Western Railway but it is not known when the lines will re-open. The B3390 Warmwell Road also remains closed in both directions.

Police are issuing a warning to members of the public after a Dorset couple were scammed out of a significant amount of money. The couple, aged in their 70s, were targeted by fraudsters through a series of courier and banking scams. On Thursday 15 August 2019 they were called on their landline by a man claiming to ...

Last week, a Weymouth resident was sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment after being found guilty of multiple offences, including four environmental crimes. Back in August this year, Anthony Maurice Knowles, (41, from Weymouth) appeared at Poole Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to two instances of fly-tipping and a further two matters under Section 34 of the ...

Martyn Underhill is among 18 Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to have signed an open letter calling for the Ministry of Justice to launch a “call for evidence” in relation to the law around assisted dying. The Dorset PCC, who leads on the issue of suicide nationally for the Association Of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) ...

The 4th annual Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance returns on the 3rd of November at the Weymouth Pavilion. Join us for a packed and talented evening of Dance, Song and reflection whilst raising money for the Royal British Legion Dorset’s poppy appeal. With music from HMS Heron Royal Navy Band, Dorset For Singing, The ...

Dorset Council is supporting National Care Leavers Week 2019 which takes place from 28 October to 3 November 2019. This annual initiative recognises young people who have left looked after care and are now living independently. Saphron Gafney-Parker, left care at 17 years old. Now aged 21, Saphron is studying hairdressing and lives with her one year ...

Dorset Council wants to know what residents and business owners think of its proposed four year plan for Dorset. The draft plan sets out where the council thinks it needs to focus to make Dorset a great place to live and work.  It incorporates the political vision of the elected councillors. The proposed priorities are: economic growth – ...

The Thomas Hardye School have a very exciting and ambitious concert planned for November 16th in St Mary’s Church Dorchester. The Thomas Hardye Singers accompanied by an orchestra made up of 25 Thomas Hardye School students and 35 professionals, will be performing the following programme: 1st half: Puccini’s Messa di Gloria (soloists Jon Valendar & Andrew Foan) 2nd ...

As winter closes in, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is reminding people living in thatched properties to take every precaution against fire. While there is no increased risk of fire within a thatched property, the impact of a fire is far greater. The National Society of Master Thatchers estimates that the average cost of ...

This Wednesday, a band of local bellringers will attempt to re-create an event from exactly 100 years ago. On 30 October 1919 a peal of over 3 hours was rung to mark the dedication of a memorial in St Peter’s church in Dorchester to those bellringers from the local area who had died during the ...

The A35 between Stinsford and the Stadium roundabout was closed both ways for 2 hours due to a multi-vehicle accident. Dorset police were called at 1255 today to reports of a 2 vehicles collision. All emergency services were in attendance during the incident but there were no reports of injuries. The road was initially re-opened at the Wareham ...

A Flood Alert has been issued by the Environment Agency. Flooding is possible for: Lyme Regis, Charmouth, Seatown, West Bay, Bothenhampton, Burton Freshwater, Burton Bradstock, Cogden Beach, Chesil Beach, West Fleet, East Fleet and Chiswell. Waves are forecast to overtop defences at exposed locations as a result of spring tides and strong winds. Detailed tidal information for those ...

Children in Dorset are benefiting from much better help and protection and senior leaders have a clear understanding of what needs to improve, say Government inspectors. Earlier this month, Ofsted looked at Dorset Council’s arrangements for children in need and those subject to a child protection plan. They looked at a range of evidence, including case ...

Bring your broken items to be fixed by local volunteers on the last Sunday of every month! After a successful soft launch in September, the Dorchester Repair Café are delighted to open their first event on Sunday 27th October 10am-12 at Sunninghill Community Hall, Dorchester DT1 1EB (behind Sunninghill School). The repair cafe would love you ...

Fun will be on offer this half term when a new nature trail opens. The new trail in Thorncombe Woods, near Dorchester, is less than a mile-long and is suitable for off-road mobility scooters. Free trail guides are available. The trail has been inspired by the best-selling picture book ‘The Lost Words’. The book, by Robert MacFarlane ...

In the shortlist for the Surfers Against Sewage Awards announced on Monday, Damers First School has been shortlisted for School Champion. Damers First School’s submission included winning four awards in the Young Enterprise Fiver Challenge last year, launching Refill Dorchester an signing up 25 businesses in one afternoon, leading a campaign to make Dorchester single ...

Dorchester Town Crier wins National Championships for 10th time! Dorchester’s well-known Town Crier, Alistair Chisholm has won the Town Crying National Championships for the 10th time – equalling the record set in 1973 by Ben Johnson, who was Town Crier of Fowey, Cornwall from 1935 to 1978. Listen to our interview with Alistair in which he repeats ...

Councillors will examine work to improve community safety and plans to find out people’s views on dogs, when the Place Scrutiny Committee meets on Thursday. (24/10) IMPROVING COMMUNITY SAFETY Among the items on the agenda will be the annual Community Safety Report. The Place Scrutiny Committee is responsible for examining the work of the Dorset Community Safety ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is warning people to not let Halloween become scary for all the wrong reasons. Every year on 31 October, children and adults are injured in accidents where candles or fireworks have set fire to costumes and hair. Plastic capes and bin liners, often used as costumes, are also fire ...

Families across Dorset are being reminded that there is just over a week left to apply for their child’s secondary or upper school place for September 2020. As it stands, nearly 500 children from the Dorset Council area still have not had an application submitted for them. For children who are due to start secondary or ...

In just five years, Scottish firebrands Talisk have stacked up several major awards for their explosively energetic yet artfully woven sound, including 2017’s Folk Band of the Year at the BBC Alba Scots Trad Music Awards, and a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award. As part of a large UK tour this November, which takes in ...

Last week, members of Dorset Council’s Climate Change Executive Advisory Panel and Technical Officers Group came together to offer new ideas and approaches in the fight against climate change. On Thursday morning, over 40 officers and councillors from various services and electoral wards gathered at South Walks House in Dorchester to provide information on what Dorset ...

Dorset County Hospital (DCH) has submitted a planning application to build a multi-storey car park as part of its plans to develop clinical facilities on its Dorchester site. The hospital wants to expand its Emergency Department (ED) and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as well as establish an Integrated Care Hub as part of a long-term project ...

Drivers in Dorset have been taking the rough with the smooth today (Friday 18 Oct) as small breaks in the rain brought the sunshine. Those breaks were few and when the rain did return, it returned in force! Torrential and persistent rain hit Dorchester hard this afternoon with some drivers reporting significant visibility issues and reduced speeds. Drivers ...

Image appeal following road rage incident in Weymouth Officers investigating a road rage incident in Weymouth are issuing images of the suspect and his motorcycle. The incident occurred at around 12pm on Tuesday 24 September 2019 at the traffic lights between Chickerell Road and Boot Hill. A man aged in his 60s was driving a Vauxhall Zafira and ...

At approximately 11:13hrs Dorset and Wiltshire fire control mobilised two crews from Dorchester and one crew from Weymouth to reports of a property fire in Dorchester. Upon arrival it was evident there was smoke issuing but reports of the fire being already extinguished. One breathing apparatus crew were tasked to confirm the fire was out before ventilating ...

The Coroner for Dorset is seeking the assistance of the public to find the next of kin of a man who died in Maiden Newton near Dorchester. James Frank Johnson, who was 67 years old, died at his home address in Webbers Piece on Monday 14 October 2019. His death is not being treated as ...

Christian Aid’s Dorchester and District committee has invited a range of local justice organisations to run stalls and give information about their activities at a coffee morning on Saturday 19 October. The event, which takes place at the United Church, Dorchester, from 10am – 12noon, will include stands from Freedom from Torture, Hilfield Friary, Traidcraft, Tools ...

Dorset Police has launched ‘Your Dorset. Your Police. Your View.’ – a new way to make your views heard to help shape the county’s policing in the future. On 14 October 2019, Dorset Police launched an online priority setter to give the public the opportunity to put themselves in the Chief Constable’s shoes and decide what ...

Hazardous waste such as discarded needles can occasionally be found across the country. Although it’s a national issue, we would like to remind people that if you ever see one, do not touch, unless it poses an immediate danger. If you see a syringe or needle on public land please report it immediately so a clean-up can ...

Thanks to the generosity of the people of Dorset, Weldmar Hospicecare has many treasures to discover in its chain of charity shops and outlets. These donations are unusually handed in over the counter when someone’s had a clear out or spring clean, but now and again the charity is invited to house clearances to see what ...

Flood Warning has been issued by the Environment Agency. Flooding is expected for: Dorchester Road and Frome Lane area of Maiden Newton. River levels have risen at the Maiden Newton river gauge as a result of heavy overnight rainfall. Consequently, flooding of property, roads and farmland is possible today. We believe there is a possibility ...

Dorset History Centre are beginning a project to catalogue the papers of Dame Elisabeth Frink, a renowned sculptor with strong local connections. Dame Elisabeth Frink RA (1930-1993) was one of Britain’s most renowned sculptors. Her works are held by museums and galleries throughout the UK and worldwide. Frink moved to Dorset in 1976 and lived here ...