News Archive

It was a case of standing room only at Dorchester’s Colliton Club as more than 60 people flocked to the launch of the county’s new independent political movement ALL for Dorset. They heard author and pioneering campaigner Peter MacFadyen talk about how independent councillors had taken control of Frome town council by being open and transparent, ...

A new birthing pool hire service is now available at Dorset County Hospital, thanks to a generous donation. The pools were donated by Claire Williams, a long-time advocate and supporter of homebirths, to the hospital’s Cygnet Homebirth Team. In 2011 Claire sought to give local women access to birthing pools at home, to save them the expense ...

Officers investigating a fatal road traffic collision near Bridport are appealing for any witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. The collision occurred at around 7.50pm on Wednesday 23 January 2019 on the A35 near to the turning to Eype. It involved a red Ford Fiesta, a silver Nissan Micra and a silver Volkswagen van. Sadly, ...

Over the past five days, staff at Weldmar Hospicecare have been celebrating 25 years of providing Hospicecare throughout Dorset. But today those celebrations were dampened by the news that thieves had targeted the charity. Just after 8.30am on Wednesday 23rd January, staff at Weldmar’s Poole Furniture Outlet on the Nuffield Industrial Estate, discovered that their delivery ...

A new art exhibition is capturing people’s eye at Dorset County Hospital. Thanks to Dorchester Camera Club the walls inside the hospital are looking a lot brighter. The club has partnered with Arts In Hospital in a new exhibition to display the talent of its members. The exhibition showcases the diversity of interest of club members – from ...

Officers investigating a burglary at a Wareham home are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. Sometime between 5.20pm and 9.15pm on Monday 21 January 2019 entry was forced to a property in Stour Drive through a ground floor window and an untidy search of the premises was carried out. At this stage ...

Since 2012, the number of people killed and seriously injured on Dorset’s roads has shown a sustained fall. In 2012 it was 355, in 2018 with figures to be confirmed, it was 239, a reduction of slightly more than 32 Slight or minor collisions have showed a similar reduction of a little over 30%. An ...

Officers investigating an assault in Weymouth are appealing for any witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. At around 2.30pm on Friday 18 January 2019 two women went to intervene in an altercation between a man and a woman in the alleyway that runs between Primula Close and Louviers Road in Littlemoor. The man responded by ...

Detectives are appealing for information from the public after a man was found with a head injury in Weymouth. Dorset Police was called by the ambulance service at 9.54pm on Saturday 19 January 2019 to reports that a man aged in his 20s had been located unconscious with a head injury on Beverley Road in Weymouth. He ...

A dedicated team of community support workers has been set up to provide short term care to frail and vulnerable people living in the most remote parts of North Dorset. Dorset HealthCare’s new Community Support Worker Service offers care for patients in their own homes in a bid to prevent hospital admission, enable early discharge from ...

A section of the Marsh leading to the Rodwell Trail in Weymouth has received a major refurbishment by Dorset County Council’s Greenspace service. Brambles and other vegetation were cut back to reveal a large amount of litter that had accumulated in the undergrowth over the years. This was tackled by a huge litter-picking effort by the ...

Dorset County Council’s highway fixers will be treating more of Dorset’s damaged roads thanks to extra funding. Starting this month, Dorset Highways will have three resurfacing gangs in action repairing 53 sites across the county up to the end of March. The sites have been identified from inspections by community highway officers, with the site-specific treatments designed ...

13 students across Dorset are campaigning to become the county’s next Members of Youth Parliament. They will stand for election at the end of this month, with voting taking place in schools between 28 Jan – 1 Feb. Two Members and two Deputy Members of Youth Parliament will be elected. Dorset County Council runs the campaign in ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses to come forward after a teenage boy was assaulted in Weymouth. At 6.30pm on Friday 4 January 2019 an incident occurred in the area of KFC and McDonald’s at the Jubilee Retail Park on Jubilee Close in which a 16-year-old local boy was assaulted by a group of people following an ...

Two men have been arrested after officers executed a drugs warrant near Dorchester. At around 8.55am today, Wednesday 9 January 2019, officers from the Neighbourhood Policing Team with support from other colleagues carried out the warrant at two properties in the Wardon Hill area. Inside four lorry containers officers found what they believed to be cannabis plants ...

A radiographer from Dorset County Hospital has been making a difference to those less fortunate. Linda Chappell, who has worked at the Trust for 19 years, travelled across the globe with the Kenya Orthopaedic Project (KOP). Exploring Global Health Opportunities (EGHO) have been working with the charity Medical and Educational Aid to Kenya (MEAK) to deliver annual ...

Parents of children starting primary school this year have just one week left to apply for their child’s reception place. The deadline is Tuesday 15 January. The deadline is for children who are starting school for the first time, transferring from First to Middle school or transferring from Infant to Junior school in September 2019. There are ...

Chief Constable James Vaughan has been awarded the Queens Police Medal (QPM) for his 27 years of service to British policing. The QPM is awarded to those in the Force who have shown gallantry or distinguished service. During his time in the police he has helped transform the service both locally, regionally and nationally. He has ...

A roadshow is being held throughout January to ask members of the public for their views on paying £2 a month to fund police. Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill has launched a consultation to ask members of the public for their views on paying a slight increase in their precept – the part of ...

With local hospitals coming under increasing pressure after the festive break, people are being asked to help stop the spread of the flu and norovirus bugs and help minimise disruption to local services. Make sure you get your flu jab The flu virus strikes in winter and it can be far more serious than you think. Flu can ...

One crew from the Dorchester Fire station were mobilised to a report of a chimney fire in a pub in Abbotsbury this morning (Thursday 3rd January). On arrival crews confirmed the fire which was confined to the chimney. A Chimney kit was used to extinguish the fire in the property on Market Street in the village.

Dorset HealthCare has been rated as one of the top four NHS trusts in the country which are providing an extremely high level of care for people with mental illness. This is according to findings published in the latest Community Mental Health Survey carried out by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which found the Trust’s services ...

It’s the start of a new year. Time to take stock and make changes in your life. Will 2019 be the right time for you to make a difference to a child’s life? Being a foster carer is a rewarding career. With many different ways to foster including providing short breaks and respite, short-term or long-term ...

Earlier this month the Exeter Northcott Theatre live streamed their pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk to the children’s ward at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital. This enabled children and their families who were unable to attend the performances at the theatre to see the panto. This kind gesture inspired John Gurd a local photographer and ...

Dry January is the UK’s one-month booze-free challenge. This year we are encouraging residents to join Public Health Dorset and take up the challenge to feel great and save some cash. Lots of us feel like we’re drinking a bit too much, or too often, or just like we could do with some time off. Dry ...

A living room fire in Sturminster Newton extinguished quickly thanks to working smoke detection. A fire crew from Sturminster Newton fire station attended a property on Hanover Close, following reports of the smoke alarm activating. On arrival crews carried out an inspection of the property and quickly found there to be a small fire in the living ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward following criminal damage to a home in Dorchester. The occupants of the property in Holloway Road were asleep at around 11.10pm on Wednesday 19 December 2018 when they heard the sound of smashing glass downstairs. They went down and discovered their front lounge window had ...

Officers investigating a serious assault in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. At around 2am on Christmas Day, Tuesday 25 December 2018, a man aged in his 50s was walking on Dorchester Road between the Marks and Spencer garage and the Manor Roundabout when he was almost involved in a ...

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue received reports of a fire at a house in Weymouth on Christmas Day. Both crews from Weymouth were mobilised to a Fire at a Domestic property in Cornwall Close, Weymouth at 2PM. The first appliance arrived swiftly within three minutes of going mobile to the Incident. Crews confirmed the fire was located ...

Staff at Dorset County Hospital asked people to think about the gift of organ donation as they switched on their Christmas tree lights. The hospital’s organ donation team has sponsored a tree to highlight the importance of discussing your wishes around organ donation with your family. Dr Andrew Ball, Critical Care Consultant and Clinical Lead for Organ ...

At 10:00 today (Saturday) a fire engine from Weymouth was called to reports of a child locked in a car. The crew arrived at All Saint’s Road in Weymouth and used small tools and breaking in equipment to release the child. The child was reunited with happy parents!

Christmas can be an exceptionally difficult time for vulnerable children in Dorset – but it’s also a time when we all think about how we could make a difference. Dorset County Council is asking: could you give a child a home? People are needed from all walks of life to sign up to be foster carers, ...

Christmas could have been a different story this year if it wasn’t for the fast action of staff at Dorset County Hospital. Unmistakable in his red suit and shiny black boots, Father Christmas arrived unexpectedly at DCH in need of an operation. Mr Claus came under the care of Vascular Consultant James Metcalfe and his team, who ...

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill is reluctantly asking members of the public to pay the equivalent of an additional £2 per month to help fund policing. Last week, rather than providing a balanced funding settlement for policing, the government has instead placed the responsibility for the majority of this year’s settlement with Police and ...

Schools across Dorset are reaping the benefits of the faster, more reliable broadband speeds now available thanks to a council-run initiative. Superfast Dorset, working with its delivery partner Openreach, has provided around 84,000 homes and businesses with access to superfast broadband. But the roll-out has brought wider community benefits too, including making faster connections available to ...

Ten Dorset gritters have been named – by you – ahead of the cold snap. After the extreme weather of last winter – which saw 24-hour working to keep strategic roads open – Dorset Highways asked residents to name their gritting fleet. The team enjoyed reading through the many suggestions, and the names are now being unveiled: Chillingstone Cold-Harbour Gold ...

Andy Willis, Chair of Dorset HealthCare, has announced the appointment of Eugine Yafele as the Trust’s next Chief Executive, following approval by its Council of Governors. Andy said: “Eugine is a highly experienced leader with a wealth of experience since he started his NHS career as a nurse in London and has had a key role ...

With colder weather on the horizon, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service has issued advice to local people on the best ways to stay safe and warm in the colder and darker months. Safe & Well Manager Vikki Thomas said: “Although December has been mild, the colder weather is just around the corner. As it ...

A man and a woman have been arrested following reports of assaults on two people in Weymouth. Dorset Police received a report at around 1.15am on Saturday 27 October 2018 of an incident in the rear car parks of The Richmoor and Mon Ami hotels on The Esplanade in Weymouth. It was alleged that two holidaymakers – ...

A very special guest helps officially open a new £9 million cancer centre for Dorset Dorset’s new multi-million-pound state-of-the-art cancer treatment centre was opened by Martin Clunes OBE this week. The official opening at Dorset County Hospital was on Wednesday night (12 December) with almost 200 guests including charity donors, staff, patient representatives and health officials ...

The Dorset History Centre has received a grant of over £56,000 from the Wellcome Trust – the UK’s leading medical research charity. The funding will support a year-long project to fully catalogue the Herrison Hospital (the county asylum) archive. The archive dates from 1832 and is of great interest to researchers and family historians alike. It will ...

Missing Poole woman Patricia Fear may be in the Dorchester area and officers are appealing for the public to report any sightings. The 67-year-old was last in contact with her family around lunchtime yesterday, Tuesday 11 December 2018, and it was discovered she was not at her home address in Coles Avenue in Hamworthy. Inspector Matt Chutter, ...

A total of £15.2million has been awarded to Dorset’s Integrated Care System by the Department of Health to continue the major programme of transformation and improvement in the county’s health services. The money, announced on Friday 7 December by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will be used to fund three major initiatives: ...

With just Christmas just around the corner, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service has released some top tips to help keep your family safe over the festive period! Check your Christmas lights are in good working order and conform to the British Safety Standard. Never overload electrical sockets, and make sure outdoor lights are fitted ...

The school has taken the decision to close on Monday due to a failure of their heating system. A letter from the head teacher on their website states: “Our heating system has broken. The new part has been ordered, from Germany, but cannot be fitted until Monday… However, as the heating system has to be drained, to ...

A young lady from Dorset attended the Christmas Cracker last week and lost an item of huge sentimental value to her. She has lost her gold chain and heart shaped locket! Whilst the owner has re-traced her steps, results to find the item are few. She was at the Corn exchange, Holy Trinity & United churches for ...

The annual Dorchester Christmas Cracker, sponsored by Kingston Maurward College, took place on Thursday, December 6, to celebrate the festive season within the county town. Festivities began with a carol service in St Peter’s Church at 5pm, followed by performances from the Rock Choir in Holy Trinity Catholic Church. Retailers also opened for late night shopping, ...

Fire crews have been attending a fire at a commercial property at Pymore Mills in Pymore, Bridport. Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue took a 999 call at 11.10 today (6 Dec) to reports of a fire inside a factory. 2 fire crews from Bridport, 1 crew from Beaminster and aerial platforms from Yeovil station attended the ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is reminding people to take care with candles after a bedroom fire last night (5 December). Fire crews were called to a property in the north of the Service area, where a candle had been allowed to burn down inside a glass holder which was placed on top of ...

A man has been charged in connection with a reported assault in Blandford. Officers were called at 9.12pm on Monday 7 May 2018 to Damory Court Street following reports that a 31-year-old man had been assaulted. It was alleged that he was assaulted with a claw hammer before being driven at by a man in ...

Officers searching for missing Shaftesbury woman Connie Lewis are pleased to confirm she has been found safe and well. Connie, aged 26, was reported missing at 7.35pm yesterday, Wednesday 5 December 2018, having last been in contact with her family at around 2.10pm. She has now been located in the Honiton area. We would like to thank everyone ...

Officers searching for a woman who went missing from Shaftesbury are appealing for help from the public to find her. Connie Lewis, aged 26 and from Greenstone Road, was last in contact with her family at around 2.10pm on Wednesday 5 December 2018. She is described as white, around five feet eight inches tall with long brown ...

Dorset Police were called earlier this afternoon at around 3.10PM to reports that a suspicious item was discovered at the Lantern Resource Centre on Ranelagh Road in Weymouth, the Park District. As a precaution, that building was evacuated along with nearby properties and the train station. Officers are carrying out their investigation and a Bomb disposal team ...

Dorset County Council engineers have celebrated the successful repairs to Wool bridge with their partners and contractors. The ten-month project employed specialist equipment and professional expertise from the public and private sector to ensure a sympathetic and long-lasting repair to the Grade II Listed structure. Emergency stabilisation of the bridge in January with gabion bags of stone ...

You don’t have to be drunk to be a drink driver Dorset Police will launch its annual Christmas drink and drug drive campaign, running from 1 December 2018 to 1 January 2019, with an event in the aptly named Brewery Square in Dorchester. There is nothing ironic or humorous about the force’s message to anyone driving this ...

Officers investigating a reported shoplifting incident at a baby shop in Dorchester say a woman has come forward. At around 12 midday on Thursday 18 October 2018 it was reported a woman entered JoJo Maman Bebe in South Street and stole almost £100-worth of clothing. A CCTV appeal was issued earlier today, Wednesday 28 November 2018, and ...

Norovirus or the ‘winter vomiting bug’ can be prevalent at this time of year and there have been several recently reported cases in Dorset. Norovirus can be spread through contact with an infected person, through contact with surfaces or objects that are contaminated with the virus, or by eating contaminated food or water. Please help us to ...

“You’re looking after someone, but who’s looking after you?” – that’s the message to thousands of unpaid carers across Dorset as we get ready to celebrate Carers Rights Day on Friday 30 November. Each year, Carers Rights Day is held across the UK. It brings organisations throughout Dorset together to help unpaid carers know their rights ...

A report released today by HMICFRS (Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services) clearly shows the overwhelming demand placed on police services by dealing with people who have mental health issues. The report ‘Policing and mental health: picking up the pieces’, states that people with mental health issues are being let down, ...

LiveWell Dorset is placing personalised healthy living advice at the fingertips of the county. My LiveWell is a new online tool with tailored tips to help adults in Dorset get healthy. Leading Public Health Dorset’s Prevention at Scale programme; LiveWell Dorset helps you make lifestyle changes that keep you healthier for longer. Stuart Burley, Public Health Dorset ...