News Archive

Martin and Kirsty Smithleigh were intending to run the Manchester Marathon on 5th April but of course it has been cancelled because of the coronavirus crisis. It would be a great shame to let all their hard work training for the event go to waste so they are still going to run a marathon – ...

The single most important action you can take is to stay at home in order to protect the NHS and save lives. Have a big weekend in! The weather is set to be good this weekend, but to help save lives please stay at home. Coronavirus is life threatening for people, of all ages, everywhere.  Don’t be ...

As part of the efforts to help people get out of hospital when they are fit to do so, a new model is being launched in South Dorset. The Best Western Hotel Rembrandt on Dorchester Road in Weymouth will be repurposed during the coronavirus crisis and will be set up as a base for people who ...

Many of the Dorchester clubs have come together to offer you assistance during this unprecedented time. The Dorchester Community Support Group volunteers can help you with; Putting you in contact with useful Dorchester Groups Shopping Collection of prescriptions If you are lonely and would like to speak to someone we have volunteers who can call you for a chat. The ...

With uncertainty over revenues and a looming cash flow crisis for many businesses, innovation tax incentives consultant, Rob Sowden, reminds business owners that they may be eligible for a welcome cash injection from HMRC if they have been innovating in the past two years. Rob informs: “Many businesses are clearly concerned about the impact the COVID-19 ...

Help Dorset History Centre to create an archive telling the story of the coronavirus and its impact on the people of Dorset. Dorset History Centre, in partnership with Lighthouse, Poole’s centre for the arts, is looking for local people to help make history. A county-wide diary project is being launched to make sure that our experiences ...

The Brace of Butchers in Poundbury, Dorset has today been named the UK’s Best Butcher in the 2020 Farm Shop & Deli Awards. Spanning 11 categories, as well as a coveted ‘Newcomer of the Year’ gong, (won by the Brace of Butchers in 2017) the awards, held in partnership with respected trade magazine, The Grocer, were ...

Dorset has almost 3,000 miles of rights of way criss-crossing the county, giving access to the countryside via footpaths, bridleways, trailways and cycleways. These provide a very useful resource for people under the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions to complete their one form of daily exercise, while social distancing. Maintained by Dorset Council and landowners, these paths ...

Households across the west are being reminded not to flush items that could be used as an alternative to loo roll during shortages brought about by the coronavirus panic buying. Wessex Water is urging its customers to bin alternatives such as kitchen roll and wet wipes, even if they are branded “flushable”. The company advises that only ...

Find out what Dorset Council is doing to help homeless people who are unable to self-isolate during the coronavirus outbreak. Our housing officers have teamed up with partners including The Lantern Trust and Julian House to find accommodation for 24 people that we have identified as sleeping rough in the Dorset Council area. Of these 24 people, ...

Public Health Dorset and LiveWell Dorset are inviting the county to join a wellbeing challenge to take care of our health and wellbeing at this difficult time. Based on the Five Ways to Wellbeing, LiveWell’s Five Ways Challenge will guide participants through five steps to greater self-care. The challenge will encourage participants to find new ways ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) is warning the public to stay safe and stay vigilant when outdoors during the coronavirus pandemic. The Fire Service needs the help of the public to ensure their resources can be used for the vital support of all communities. With the current dry weather being experienced, people are ...

As Dorset Council’s waste services begin to feel the pressure from coronavirus (COVID-19) employee absence and the need to introduce new safety measures to protect our workforce, we are asking residents to help us by changing the way they deal with their bins, litter and recycling. Lower priority services such as bin deliveries and garden waste ...

Sick crooks are using the Coronavirus crisis to target people online, playing on their health fears, a leading cyber-security company has warned. C3IA Solutions said emails purporting to offer COVID-19 test results and cures and selling protective equipment have been circulating. Many domain names featuring ‘Coronavirus’ and ‘COVID-19’ have recently been registered and some are likely to ...

Dorset Council has taken the decision to suspend parking charges in its car parks across the county during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Following calls from the general public and Dorset’s elected members, the Council will no longer require payment for the use of any of its car parks that remain open at this time while public ...

Dorset Police and Dorset Council are asking people not to drive to a beach, park or local beauty spot this weekend to stop people congregating and not observing social distancing. Last weekend saw record numbers at beaches and parks around the country and the agencies are keen for there not to be a repeat this weekend. Cllr ...

Traffic officers, from Dorset Police, have been carrying out road checks across the County. “It was nice to see that members of the public welcomed the work we were doing, although it inconvenienced motorists for a few short minutes, they were all very supportive of what we are all trying to achieve.” As well as setting up ...

If you’re feeling a bit lost in this new digital-only world, help is on hand from the Dorset Digital Hotline. You may have a computer but are struggling to use the myriad of technology available. Do you need help to use eConsult to reach your doctor’s surgery, or wonder whether video conferencing, like Skype, could keep you ...

Dorset County Hospital would like to say a big Thank You for the generous support received for our DCH COVID-19 Appeal so far. Our community are rallying behind our wonderful NHS staff as they work tirelessly caring for patients during the coronavirus crisis – as demonstrated by the massive show of appreciation from ‘Clap for ...

Parliament has passed emergency powers for the police to enforce restrictions on public movement to reduce the spread of COVID-19, help the NHS and save lives. Under these rules, you should not leave your home unless strictly necessary for one of the following purposes: • Shopping for basic household necessities, as infrequently as possible • One form of ...

The managing director of leading Dorset-based manufacturer Superior took part in an intense outdoor workout alongside Cherries manager Eddie Howe to raise £30,000 for Julia’s House. Tim Brown, MD of the family-owned manufacturer of high integrity o-rings and seals based on Ferndown Industrial Estate, completed two hours of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) alongside Eddie Howe, Martin ...

The following is a message from Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill, regarding delays to the forthcoming PCC elections caused by the current pandemic. The Coronavirus crisis has had an impact on every element of British life and I know that many people are finding it difficult. However, one impact of the emergency that has quite ...

With the Government’s recommendations for social distancing and isolation, support from Age UK North, South & West Dorset (NSWD) for older vulnerable people in our communities has never been more needed. CEO, Dave Thorp, said: “Over the past week we have seen calls for help into the office increase by nearly 400 per cent. At ...

Dorset Council has closed all its household recycling centres (HRCs, or ‘the tip’) until further notice in order to comply with the latest central government guidance on staying at home and away from others. However, your normal kerbside bin collections will continue to take place for the time being. We have already issued information on how ...

NHS services in Dorset are gearing up for changes help minimise the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and deal with any upturn in patient numbers caused by the outbreak. This will involve reducing or closing some non-essential services to protect the most essential services and, ultimately, save lives. The NHS regularly plans for such events, so its ...

Dorset Council has received enquiries about food businesses which are continuing to operate and want to clarify the following: All restaurants, pubs and cafés should now be closed. But businesses can, and are, looking to diversify into take away and delivery services, and this is being supported by central government. We’ve produced guidance for Dorset’s food businesses ...

Our amazing staff at Dorset County Hospital are going above and beyond the call of duty, to care for the most vulnerable members of society.   The NHS is at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19 (coronavirus) and our dedicated staff from domestics to doctors, nurses to porters at Dorset County Hospital are doing all ...

Weldmar Hospicecare is appealing for support during the Covid-19 pandemic, as it closes all retail sites following the directives from Prime Minster, Boris Johnson, and cancels all fundraising events until the end of May. The Dorset charity must raise £18,000 per day to keep services going, and has said it is absolutely committed to continuing to ...

Dorset Council has issued the following news item: Dorset Council and its contractors W&S Recycling have worked closely to bring in several new measures at its household recycling centres (HRCs, or ‘the tip’) aimed at tackling the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). The restrictions come amid an increased number of visitors to the Council’s ten sites over the ...

Officers are appealing for information and anyone with dashcam footage to come forward following a fatal collision in Weymouth. Officers were called at 11.41am on Sunday 22 March 2020 to reports of a head-on collision on the A354 Weymouth Relief Road involving a white Nissan Micra and a white Mercedes. Very sadly the driver of the Micra, ...

The Dorchester BID has issued the following list and KeeP 106 is pleased to support our local businesses in these challenging times. The list below is all Dorchester businesses who are in a position to take card orders over the phone and arrange for delivery of goods to local addresses for those who cannot get out ...

Dorset Council has published the following coronavirus information We want to reassure you that council officers are working hard to ensure we keep on top of the rapidly changing Coronavirus situation. As well as signing up to our e-newsletters, please keep an eye on the Coronavirus page on our website. You can also sign up for alerts to get updates from the ...

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance went online for the very first time at 8.00am on 21st March 2000; 52 minutes later they were tasked to their first mission. Back then, the service, which is still based at Henstridge Airfield, operated during daylight hours in a Bölkow 105 helicopter and carried a crew of two paramedics ...

Bin collections are one of Dorset Council’s most important services, provided to over 200,000 households across the county. But with the current public health measures introduced around the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, there may be challenges in maintaining waste service levels as some of our collection crew employees begin to self-isolate and follow social-distancing advice. We have a ...

Dorset’s Family Information Service has issued the following advice: Following the announcement from the Prime Minister last night that all schools in the UK are to shut from Friday 20 March until further notice as a response to the coronavirus pandemic, we’re working hard to identify what this means for us in Dorset. You can read ...

Detectives investigating a robbery in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. Between 4am and 5am on Wednesday 11 March 2020 the victim, a woman aged in her 20s, was walking through the underpass under Westwey Road, near to Westham Bridge, when a man cycled past her and pulled in front ...

The Trust, at Dorset County Hospital, has taken the decision to limit patient visiting hours to help reduce the risk of the spread of infection and ensure patient safety. All wards in the Trust will be restricting visiting hours to between 3pm and 8pm only and limiting visitors to one per patient. Visitors may only stay ...

With so much talk about coronavirus, it’s hard to know which sources of information you should keep up to date with. This is a rapidly changing situation, but we will keep you up-to-date with any new advice and guidance when it becomes available. You can also sign up for alerts to get updates from the government ...

Officers investigating the theft of lead from the roof of a church near Dorchester are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. Dorset Police received a report at 3.40pm on Monday 16 March 2020 that an estimated £60,000-worth of lead had been stolen from the roof of St Martin’s Church in Cheselbourne. It is ...

Dorset Council has issued the following guidance for people with confirmed or possible coronavirus (COVID-19) infection. Personal waste (such as used tissues) and disposable cleaning cloths can be stored securely within disposable rubbish bags. These bags should be placed into a second bag, tied securely and kept separate from other waste in the room in which ...

There is lots of news and public interest around Coronavirus (COVID-19) at the moment and Dorset Council has published the list of useful links below. It is always best to read the Government and NHS advice as they regularly update their information. Please check the following sources of advice: The UK coronavirus (COVID-19) page will keep you in touch with how ...

Officers searching for a missing teenager from Bovington are appealing for help from the public to find him. Kelevi Rakautoga, aged 17, left his home address at 10am on Wednesday 26 February 2020 and has not returned since. He last made contact with his family on Tuesday 10 March, saying he would come home on Thursday ...

Public Health England and Dorset and BCP Councils can confirm that a resident in the Dorset Council area has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19). Public Health England is following up the case tracing and advising contacts according to national guidance and protocol.  Rachel Partridge Assistant Director of Public Health for Dorset and BCP Councils said: “I’d like ...

Officers investigating the theft of lead in Dorchester are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. Dorset Police received a report at 12.53pm on Thursday 12 March 2020 that an estimated three square metres of lead had been stolen from the roof of Queens Avenue Surgery. Police Sergeant Andy Napper, of Dorchester neighbourhood policing ...

Officers are urging residents to remain vigilant following three phone scams across Dorset. At 1.28pm on Wednesday 11 March 2020 Dorset Police received a report from a Poole woman, aged in her 80s, that she was called by someone who claimed to be a police officer in Croydon. They advised the victim that her bank card ...

Officers investigating a serious injury collision on Portland are appealing for witnesses or anyone with relevant dashcam footage to come forward. At 6.46am on Wednesday 11 March 2020 Dorset Police received a report of a collision on the A354 Portland Beach Road near to the Ferry Bridge involving a blue Toyota Supra. The driver of the Toyota ...

Detectives investigating the death of professional footballer Emiliano Sala have confirmed that Dorset Police will be taking no further action against a man arrested on suspicion of manslaughter by an unlawful act. On Monday 21 January 2019 a plane carrying Mr Sala and pilot David Ibbotson was flying from Nantes to Cardiff when it lost contact ...

Devoted Gynae-Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist Hilary Maxwell was recognised with the Points of Light Award for her exceptional service supporting women and girls with gynaecological cancers. Hilary is the founder of GO Girls, providing confidential digital advice and support to hundreds of women and girls with gynaecological cancers. A nurse for over a decade who lost her ...

Dorset Council’s Cabinet today approved plans to build a new residential care home, contact centre, activity space and residential accommodation for children and young people in the county. Two sites in Weymouth are earmarked in the outline plans. One will be a purpose-built residential care home with a contact centre and activity space for children and ...

A man has been jailed for two months for deliberately killing an otter near Dorchester. Stuart Karl John Jones, aged 54 and of Chilthorne Domer near Yeovil, was sentenced after pleading guilty to deliberately killing a wild animal of a European protected species, namely a Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), contrary to the Conservation of Habitats and ...

Dorset and BCP Councils and Public Health England have issued the following statement:  The Chief Medical Officer today (Monday 9 March) has confirmed that three residents from the Dorset area have been confirmed as having contracted Coronavirus (COVID-19). Professor Debra Lapthorne Centre Director, Public Health England South West said: “Public Health England is contacting people who had close ...

Do you know of someone in your local community who deserves community recognition?  If so, Dorset Council would love to hear from you. On 3 May 2020, Dorset Council will be holding its first Community Hero Award ceremony at an event at Kingston Maurward College, Dorchester. They want to celebrate those people who make a real difference ...

A report from Dorset Council draws attention to an unwelcome invader, the Asian Hornet, which will eat all kinds of pollinators, but their favourite food is honeybees. They also have a very nasty sting. The Asian Hornet is about the size of a wasp. They are dark black/brown with an orange band on the fourth segment ...

Dorset Police has welcomed the news that the Force has been successful in its bid to equip more frontline officers with Tasers. In February the Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner submitted a bid to the Home Office for additional funding and it has been announced that Dorset Police will be able to provide Tasers ...

Working smoke alarms saved a Dorset family last night (4 March) when fire broke out in their kitchen. Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service received a 999 call from a property in Little Dewlands at 11.37pm, where smoke from the blaze was spreading through the hallway and up the stairs. A Fire Control operator gave fire ...

A man has been charged in connection with the reported rape of an 11-year-old girl on Portland. It was reported that the offence occurred in the area of the old stone windmill south of Easton shortly after 3am on Saturday 31 August 2019. On Saturday 7 September 2019 detectives arrested a 22-year-old local man on suspicion of ...

Officers searching for a missing woman from Weymouth are pleased to confirm she has been found safe and well. Elise Malcolm, aged 28, was reported missing having last been seen at an address in Chickerell at around 4pm on Tuesday 3 March 2020. Following searches by officers and assistance from colleagues at Avon and Somerset Police, she ...

A man has been sentenced to six years in prison for the robbery of an elderly woman in Dorchester. Reece Andrew McCoy, 33 and of Cornwall Road, Dorchester, was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Wednesday 26 February 2020 after being found guilty at an earlier trial at the same court. At around 6pm on Friday 24 ...

Weldmar Hospicecare’s Book Club is back with new meeting dates for 2020. Anyone can drop in to join the discussion on the book chosen that month, with meetings taking place at Weldmar’s Bookshop on South Parade, South Street, Dorchester. The club will be meeting on the following Wednesdays to talk about these books: . ...

Ovarian cancer diagnosis rates woefully inadequate, delaying treatment and risking lives according to new survey . 57% of women initially misdiagnosed . 20% visit doctor more than 5 times before referral for tests . ...