News Archive

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 ...

In line with the national picture, COVID-19 case rates remain high across the county. Case rates in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council area have stayed the same this week and Dorset Council’s case rate has increased this week. Both case rates are below the SW region average but higher than England’s average. There are ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is urging local people to help keep their communities fire-safe, as the summer holidays draw to a close. A combination of the Bank Holiday weekend, the last chance for families to get away before schools restart, and large events such as Bournemouth Air Festival, will mean an influx of ...

Officers investigating a road traffic collision in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. Dorset Police received a report at around 10.50pm on Tuesday 24 August 2021 of a single vehicle collision in Melcombe Avenue, near to the junction with Dorchester Road. It was reported that the vehicle involved – a ...

Weymouth RNLI All Weather lifeboat was called out to assist a tired and frightened crew aboard a yacht. Launched at 01.10 on Wednesday 25th August the lifeboat was on scene at 1.52am to the relief of a tired and frightened crew of a 37’ yacht which had set off from Brixham and was motoring to Weymouth ...

A Dorset Police constable has been sentenced following an assault that occurred while he was off duty in Weymouth. Police Constable Gareth Morris, aged 41, was sentenced at Southampton Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 18 August 2021 and ordered to pay a £200 fine, £400 compensation to the victim, £600 in costs and a £40 victim surcharge. ...

At approximately 2.30 on 23rd August, Dorset Police were called to reports of a disturbance, on The Esplanade, between a group of youths. It was reported that two males were allegedly seen in possession of knives during the altercation. Police attended and quickly located two young males, matching the description of those believed to be involved. Both ...

Officers investigating an assault in Weymouth town centre are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. The victim, a man aged in his 20s, was walking with a friend in Maiden Street – near to the junction with Market Street – at around 1.30am on Sunday 22 August 2021 when they were approached ...

Inside Out Dorset, the biennial international arts festival produced by Activate, has pulled some strings to bring together different communities from across Weymouth and Portland to make puppets. For the festival’s final weekend on 24 and 25 September, the spectacular after-dark parade show Sense of Unity will make its way through the town led by the ...

Fire crews from Dorchester and Beaminster station were sent to a single vehicle road traffic collision this morning (21 Aug). One casualty was released from the vehicle with assistance from the ambulance service. The collision occurred on Dorchester Road in Maiden Newton at around 9am this morning.  

Friends Of MV Freedom are holding a sponsored swim this coming Saturday 21st August from 5pm to 7pm in Newtons Cove, Weymouth. The friends are inviting swimmers of all abilities to obtain sponsorship and raise much needed funds to support the work of MV Freedom bringing access to the sea for those living with disabilities. More information ...

Continued development of its training and coaching resources and rising demand from prospective pupils has now culminated with Bryanston confirming that football has become a core sport for boys at the Dorset school. Each term, pupils will be able to focus on one of seven principal sports including rugby, hockey, equestrian, netball, cricket, rowing and now ...

Chief Constable Scott Chilton began his role this week following the retirement of former Chief Constable James Vaughan. He takes the reins having been Deputy Chief Constable for the Force since October 2020. Chief Constable Chilton told KeeP 106: “I want to make Dorset as hostile a place as possible for any offender or criminal so ...

In line with the national picture, COVID-19 case rates remain high across the county. Dorset Council’s case rate has stayed relatively stable over the past couple of weeks and it remains at a similar level to the England average. There are currently 41 people in hospital in Dorset with COVID-19. Case rates in the Bournemouth, ...

Dorset Council has awarded two, 5-year contracts to voluntary and community organisations to continue with the provision of support, advice and guidance to residents. Following an open tender process, Volunteer Centre Dorset has been awarded the contract to provide Volunteer Infrastructure Support across the Dorset Council area. The new contract will start on 1 October 2021 ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service reported on 18th August that they dealt with a major incident at cliffs near Bridport with multiple appliances in attendance. They were assisted by Dorset Police and the Coastguard Service. The coastal path is currently closed in that area. We understand that there were two casualties, a man and a woman, ...

GP-led vaccination services in Dorset are now offering the COVID-19 vaccine to children aged 16-17 in Dorset along with those aged between 12 and 15 who are considered at risk from existing health conditions. In line with recently issued Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) guidance, young people aged 16-17 will be offered a Pfizer ...

Officers are appealing for anyone with information to come forward and urging members of the public to remain vigilant following further reports of possible drink spiking incidents in Weymouth. Detectives from Weymouth CID and the local neighbourhood policing team are working together to investigate reports of drink spiking incidents in the town. While no particular venue has ...

Dorset Council wants to hear from resident Blue Badge holders to help shape a unified approach to parking charges across the council area. Following consultation with all drivers earlier this year on car park parking charges and a proposed new car park permit scheme for residents, businesses and workers, Blue Badge holders are now being asked ...

Eco-friendly district nurses have turned back the clock when visiting patients in communities around Dorset. Dorset HealthCare’s mobile nursing teams are switching from cars to electric bikes to help the environment, bypass traffic jams and promote healthy living. The idea was pioneered in Purbeck, and expanded to other areas such as Dorchester and Bournemouth after bosses at ...

Detectives investigating a report of rape and sexual assault in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward – with two people arrested. The incident occurred between 10pm and 11pm on Saturday 14 August 2021 on the beach near to the public toilets by the King’s Statue. It is reported that a short ...

Detectives investigating a report of rape in Dorchester are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. Dorset Police received a report that at around 10.30pm on Friday 13 August 2021 a woman – aged in her 30s – was raped in an alleyway in the town centre. Cordons were put in place outside The ...

Dorset Police is working with Weymouth-based taxi firms Bee Cars and Weyline Taxis to keep communities and visitors safe from anti-social behaviour and violent crime linked to the alcohol consumption. Dorset Police recently launched Operation Relentless to remind residents and visitors that the Force takes a tough approach to anti-social behaviour (ASB) and send a very ...