News Archive

With the continued pressures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Dorset residents experiencing domestic abuse are reminded they can get confidential advice and support. For some people, home is not a safe place right now. Lockdown measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have left them feeling trapped and at greater risk of harm. Cllr Graham Carr-Jones, Dorset ...

Officers investigating a burglary at a home in Owermoigne are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. A property in Wareham Road was broken into between 12.30pm and 1.10pm on Tuesday 2 March 2021 and a number of items were stolen including medals, collectable coins and jewellery. Police Constable James Curtis-Burchett, of Dorset Police, ...

Dorchester Police and residents have reacted after a defibrillator in Piddlehinton was vandalised. The Police commented; “We have had a report of complete mindless vandalism to a Defibrillator at Piddlehinton Rugby club which was there for all the community to use in a medical emergency.” There has been outrage from the public on social media; “How disgraceful! Someone’s ...

A special hotline set up to help people with digital enquiries has seen the number of calls it receives almost triple during this latest lockdown. From January 5 to February 5, the Dorset Digital Hotline received 132 calls – its biggest ever monthly total and nearly three times the average monthly calls it received in the ...

Officers investigating criminal damage to a van in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. Between 2.30pm and 4.30pm on Friday 26 February 2021 a Ford Transit van that was parked on Dorchester Road near to Greenhill Dental Practice was damaged. Damage was caused to both sides of the vehicle, the bonnet ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is reminding the public about the importance of garden safety following an incident involving an out-of-control bonfire last week. Spring is almost here which means lighter evenings and warmer weather are on their way, so it’s likely that many will want to start getting out in the garden and ...

The A35 Dorchester bypass is set to close every night this week for resurfacing. Highways England have confirmed that the stretch is to close from 8PM until 6AM for 5 nights, starting tonight (Monday). Regular drivers of this stretch have been narrowly avoiding numerous potholes along this stretch, some of which are more prominent around the Football ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) is encouraging all parts of its community to consider becoming an on-call firefighter. 1-7 March is the National Fire Chiefs Council’s On-Call Recruitment Week, and DWFRS is taking the opportunity to debunk some of the myths around what it means to be a firefighter. Station Manager Wayne Jones, the ...

“Creative thinking is a shining light for young minds” Bryanston takes steps to nurture creativity as an antidote to pandemic frustrations and extends initiatives to include other local schools. Special workshops delivered by acclaimed and award-winning artists are the latest in a series of online events at Bryanston to ensure pupils are challenged to explore their own ...

Officers are continuing to investigate a serious road traffic collision in Weymouth and are renewing their appeal for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. Following extensive enquiries, it would appear that the incident occurred at approximately 10.18am on Saturday 27 February 2021 on Rodwell Road, close to the Kingswood Hotel. Eyewitnesses have reported that the ...

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, 1st – 31st March 2021. Cancer charity, GO Girls, are raising awareness of newer treatments for women with ovarian cancer as part of this year’s ovarian cancer awareness month. Treatments for ovarian cancer have for many years remained static. However, a new range of drugs, known as PARP inhibitors, are bringing hope ...

The latest information published by Public Health Dorset: We are still in a national lockdown. Though the Prime Minster has set out a plan of how we may start to come out of the national lockdown, it is important to remember that we cannot relax on following government advice. We still need to follow the national lockdown ...

Mrs Jean Turner, a resident of Swanbridge Court in Dorchester, has celebrated her 102nd birthday in style, with the Dorchester Town Crier and KeeP 106 helping the proceedings go with a swing. At 3pm on 25th February Alistair Chisholm, the Town Crier in full ceremonial regalia, performed a special cry and KeeP 106 played ‘Happy ...

Dorset Council are developing a Dorset Harbours Strategy to guide the development of the three harbours under their management over the next ten years. The Dorset Coast Forum have been working with the Dorset Council Harbours Committee to help develop this new strategy for Weymouth, Bridport and Lyme Regis Harbours which will unify them under ...

Passengers travelling on the line between Bristol and Weymouth can look forward to a more reliable railway, following vital maintenance between Dorchester West and Castle Cary last week. Over a five-day line closure from Monday 15 to Friday 19 February, engineers completed a series of improvements to help maintain the reliability of the railway including: Rescaling of ...

This morning (25 Feb), at approximately 8.53, crews from Poole and Dorchester Fire Station attended a single vehicle collision near to Bere Regis. A scaffolding lorry had rolled into the central reservation and collided with a tree. No one was trapped in the incident and the occupants of the vehicle managed to self-extricate suffering only minor injuries ...

Officers investigating a burglary where car keys were stolen and the subsequent theft of number plates in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. Between 11pm on Saturday 20 February and 8.45am on Sunday 21 February 2021 a set of car keys were stolen from an address off Malborough Avenue. It ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward following a commercial burglary in Weymouth. At around 8.35am on Monday 22 February 2021 it was reported that a break-in had occurred at Hungerhill Garage on Lower Putton Lane. It is believed that the burglary took place during the evening of Sunday 21 February ...

The owner of a dog that was involved in an alleged dog bite incident has been identified following an image appeal. At around 10.30am on Thursday 18 February 2021 a family group was walking along Queensland Road when they came across a small black Terrier type dog running loose on its own. It is reported that the ...

The organisers of the Steam Fair have released this statement today (Tues 23 Feb) Following a further review by the Great Dorset Steam Fair Board of Directors, it is with much regret and sadness that I confirm the 2021 Great Dorset Steam Fair (scheduled to take place from Thursday 26th to Bank Holiday Monday 30th August ...

Lulworth Estate lobbies government for better countryside manners on behalf of UK’s coast and countryside. James Weld of the Lulworth Estate has told KeeP 106 that they have engaged with government and lodged a petition with the Government Petitions Committee to request both immediate and longer-term action regarding the damage experienced in the UK’s countryside after ...

Four men have been jailed after a man was kidnapped from outside his home in Bridport then assaulted and blackmailed. Leslie Richardson, also known as Leslie Ades, aged 53 and of Westcliff-on-Sea, Lewis James Needham, aged 29 and of Dorchester, and Nigel Geoffrey Moors, aged 51 and of Puddletown, were all sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court ...

Ian Girling, Dorset Chamber chief executive, has said: “The Prime Minister’s roadmap finally provides some very welcome direction of travel. “Although there is light at the end of the tunnel, many businesses in the hardest hits sectors such as non-essential retail, leisure and hospitality may be disappointed with the timescales and feel he is being overly ...

Following the announcement from The Department for Health & Social Care, unpaid carers in the Dorset Council area can now request free Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for when they are carrying out their caring responsibilities. There is a focus on extra-resident carers (those who live outside of the household of the cared for person). Unpaid care ...

Stepping into Nature are excited to announce that Picnic in the Parks, a popular event in Dorset, has moved online and is full of fresh ideas to find inspiration, discover new experiences and enjoy fun health and nature-related activities. Spending time engaging with nature, indoors or out, boosts your mood, self-esteem and motivation to be active. ...

Figures published today (19 Feb 2021) show the COVID-19 vaccination programme which started on December 8 has now delivered 240,890 doses in Dorset and rising. Over 15 million people have now received at least one dose across the UK with those aged 65 and over now being invited to book a vaccination. Supported by hundreds of volunteers, ...

Hot off the back of their recent gold award in the Dorset Tourism Awards, Fish ‘n’ Fritz, Weymouth decided to look for a way to say thank you to the local community. Paul Hay, the owner of Fish ‘n’ Fritz carried out some research and soon discovered, the demand for emergency food from Weymouth Foodbank grew ...

Aspire Adoption, one of the country’s first Regional Adoption Agencies, has placed its 200th child with their forever family. The Adoption Agency for Dorset Council and Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole (BCP) Council have continued, without pause, through the Covid-19 pandemic, to find families for those children across the county who need an adoptive family to give them ...

Following the persistent rain that Dorset has experienced, and more yet to come, the Environment Agency have issued a number of warning across the county. Groundwater levels in West Dorset have been receding following the dry, cold weather we experienced last week. With recent rainfall and further rainfall forecast over the coming week, the Environment Agency ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority (DWFRA) is inviting local people to give their views on its draft Community Safety Plan, after a public consultation into the plan opened today (17 February), running until 13 May. All fire and rescue authorities have a statutory duty to produce a Community Risk Management Plan and DWFRA fulfil ...

Dorset Council will propose to stop funding their last three Tourist Information Centres (TICs) in Dorchester, Sherborne and Wareham that it currently runs, and to investigate alternative ways of providing these services in the future. Dorset Council cannot afford to continue to fund TICs. There are five other TICs in Blandford, Bridport, Shaftesbury, Swanage and Wimborne ...

Officers are appealing for anyone with information to come forward after a man sustained an injury during an incident involving a dog in Weymouth. At around 9.40pm on Monday 8 February 2021 a man and woman were walking their dog on the beach near to Greenhill Bowling Club when a Staffordshire Bull Terrier – that was ...

NHS Dorset say, to local residents, Thank you for your continued support for your local NHS. Your support means so much to everyone in the NHS. Thanks to the tireless work of everyone – from vaccinators to volunteers – the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out is on a clear upward trajectory, with more than 200,000 doses delivered locally ...

Every year, hundreds of children need foster carers in Dorset while they can’t live with their own families. Could you open your home be one of our highly valued foster carers? Maybe your looking to reduce hours in the office or know someone who is looking to start a new career? Cllr Andrew Parry, Dorset Council Portfolio ...

Wessex Water has distributed funding to 85 groups across the south west to help local communities as they recover from the effects of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Following a series of online local panels, in partnership with regional community foundations, the water and sewerage company decided which charities and community groups would receive funding. One of the ...

The Dorchester Window Wanderland, runs from Friday, 19th February to Sunday 21st February. On these three evenings (from 6-9pm), local residents will be able to enjoy an outdoor trail of decorated windows. There are already over 100 window-makers signed up, with people, businesses, churches and schools taking part right across the town. Residents will be able ...

Confirmed cases and hospitalisations have continued to fall across Dorset, which shows that the national lockdown restrictions are having an impact. Whilst this is good news, it’s important to remember that these figures have been falling from a very high level so there is still a way to go. For comparison, we still have higher ...

Dorset Council’s Family Information Service offers a number of activities for children during half-term week. We may not be able to do much of what we want to this half-term, but there are still lots of ways for you and your family to have fun! They’ve put together a collection of activity ideas to inspire you to explore ...

New figures show the COVID-19 vaccination programme which started on December 8 has delivered more than 200,000 doses. In Dorset, the programme has gone from strength to strength with 201,211 doses (as of February 7 2021) being delivered and rising. The NHS, in a joint health and care system effort, is working tirelessly together on this monumental ...

The owner of a dog that reportedly bit a man in Weymouth has been identified. It was reported that a man aged in his 80s was bitten on his hand by a dog as he walked along St Thomas Street at around 5pm on Monday 25 January 2021. The victim further reported that he was approached ...

West Dorset MP Chris Loder is calling on residents to respond to Dorset Council’s Local Plan, which is now open for consultation and runs until 15th March. He says the Local Plan for Dorset, which not only sets out the quantity of future houses planned but identifies where those houses can be built, will impact the ...

Detectives investigating an alleged assault on Portland are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. Dorset Police was called by the ambulance service at around 5.50am on Sunday 7 February 2021 to an address in Castletown following a report a man had sustained head injuries. It is reported that the victim – a man ...

Dorset County Museum has been successful in its appeal to raise £150,000 pounds to save and display the Dewlish mosaic. The 1,600-year-old Roman floor panel showing a leopard attacking an antelope was unearthed by a team of archaeologists at Dewlish in 1974. The mosaic, measuring 2m by 2.4m, was discovered in the grounds of Dewlish House ...

Local people are being invited to choose the images which will be used as artwork on the sides of Dorset County Hospital’s new multi-storey car park. The metal facades will be added to three sides of the building and feature images of local landscapes and landmarks, a theme chosen by hospital staff to illustrate the hospital’s ...

The Women’s Action Network Dorset (WAND) are hosting Dorset Women’s Day virtually for the first time for our “Zoom Into Wellbeing” event. This will take place on Saturday 6th March, 10am-5.30pm so please save the date! The day will involve a series of 50-minute workshops over Zoom, all generally themed around self-care and wellbeing. Things have ...

There appears to be a significant power outage around the Wyke Regis area (06th Feb), which started at approximately 11:15 AM – which is affecting a significant number of properties in the DT4 area. Major mobile network providers EE and Three are also reporting some loss of service on their website, likely to be caused by ...

Nothe Fort’s team of volunteers and staff has just been given two reasons to celebrate. On Thursday 4 February, Nothe Fort won the ‘Small Visitor Attraction of the Year’ category in the Dorset Tourism Awards. This comes on top of Dorset Council awarding Nothe Fort its top tier revenue grant, the first time the heritage ...

There are currently more than 20 sites delivering COVID-19 vaccinations across Dorset including GP-led vaccination services, pharmacies, and the large vaccination centre at the Bournemouth International Centre. The COVID-19 vaccination programme in Dorset has made a strong start, with the most vulnerable being vaccinated first, according to national guidance. Sites have been chosen in order to deliver the vaccination ...

Police and Crime Panel members have approved plans to raise the amount households pay to fund Dorset Police by £15 a year*. Martyn Underhill, Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Dorset, asked the panel for their agreement to increase the precept – the part of a monthly council tax bill that funds policing – by the ...

Organisers of the first Dorchester and Poundbury Business Awards, launched at the end of 2020, are delighted to announce that response from local businesses has been fantastic. The website and launch video have received over 500 viewings and entries are rolling in. Nigel Reeve from MWSW Ltd told KeeP 106: ‘We see the awards as a great ...

Dorset Police has seen a 6.1 per cent drop in recorded crime, according to new figures released on Wednesday 3 February 2021. Data released by the Office for National Statistics, shows the Force has continued to see a drop in overall crime for the third consecutive quarter. In early 2020 Dorset Police received a ‘Good’ grading from ...

A Flood Alert has been issued by the Environment Agency. Flooding is possible for: Bridport, Chideock, Martinstown, Milborne St. Andrew, Nottington, Piddlehinton, Piddletrenthide, Upwey, Winterborne Abbas, Winterborne Kingston, Winterborne Steepleton, Winterborne Stickland, Winterborne Whitechurch and Winterborne Zelston. Groundwater levels in West Dorset are set to rise further over the next few days, bringing a risk of flooding ...

The team at Artsreach are incredibly pleased to announce that the Dorset based touring arts charity has been successful in its application to the Dorset Council Organisational Revenue Support Fund, securing the future of rural touring for Dorset’s communities for the next three years. Artsreach Co-Director Yvonne Gallimore said “The continued support Dorset Council is invaluable ...

Officers are appealing for information after a man was bitten by a dog in Weymouth. The incident occurred at around 5pm on Monday 25 January 2021 in St Thomas Street. The victim, a man aged in his 80s who is partially sighted, was walking to the Post Office when he saw a man with a dog ...

Flood protection improvement works to the River Brit in West Bay have made good progress despite challenges from recent adverse weather conditions and Covid restrictions. This partnership project, between the Dorset Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Team (FCERM), Parkdean Resorts UK and Dorset Highways as Principal Contractor will see the installation of a 380m ...

A man is due to appear in court in connection with a reported assault on Portland. It was reported that at around 1.30am on Sunday 9 August 2020 two men were assaulted on Fortuneswell. One of the victims was reportedly hit in the face with a large rock and had his head stamped on, knocking him ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service has launched an updated version of its online Hazard House, a 360° virtual tour that highlights the importance of fire safety. This bespoke educational tool is designed so that both children and adults can really think about their safety in their own homes. Yasmine Ellis, Education Coordinator, told KeeP 106: ...

On Friday, 29 January 2021, officers executed a Section 8 Police and Criminal Evidence Act warrant at an address in Mount Skippet Way, Crossways. The local Neighbourhood Policing Teams and patrol officers seized a number of items including substances believed to be controlled drugs. A 53-year-old Dorchester man was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to ...

Local infection rates have fallen again this week but they are not falling quickly and are still at high levels. Hospital admissions have levelled off but local NHS services are still under significant pressure and we are also seeing outbreaks in care settings across Dorset. Sadly these factors mean COVID-related deaths continue to rise. It remains critically ...

She’s raised more than £2,000 this month! January is typically a month where we promise ourselves we’ll do a bit more exercise and look after ourselves a little better. Billie Rose Hampshire from Weymouth has taken it to the next level, and completed a walk that was the equivalent distance of eight marathons – 337.56km! Billie Rose was ...