News Archive

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 ...

Residents of a pioneering Dorset Council scheme for adults in social care – a first of its kind in the United Kingdom – are celebrating one year of living independently. Dorset Council’s initiative enables adults with learning disabilities, mental health issues or physical impairments, to take their first steps to independent living. Their individual needs are ...

The first round of Dorset Council’s community and culture project has awarded £42,484 to 15 local organisations. The new small project was launched in April and provides funding for arts, museums, heritage, community, physical and play activities to help make a difference to people living in Dorset’s communities. The fund was able to provide grants of up ...

Public Health Dorset reports that COVID-19 case rates remain high across Dorset. Dorset Council’s case rate has continued to increase and is similar to the average rate for England, whilst a small decrease has been seen in the case rate for BCP Council since last week, but it remains significantly above the averages for the South West ...

Following feedback from residents, town and parish councils, businesses and other stakeholders, Dorset Council is planning the introduction of two new parking permits, as well as changes to proposed charges in its car parks. Following a successful survey which had over 1,900 responses, a proposed new permit scheme to benefit the people of Dorset, whilst reducing the potential impact of the higher parking charges, proved to be very popular. Short stay ...

As part of the ‘Love Your Verge’ campaign, Dorset Council has published a series of videos to explain its approach to roadside management in Dorset. Dorset Council has made changes to its verge management policy in recent years. Safety remains the top priority, so the approach strikes a balance between cutting verges regularly where needed for ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with relevant dashcam footage to come forward following a road traffic collision near Dorchester. Dorset Police was called at around 4.05pm on Monday 9 August 2021 to a report of a collision involving a black BMW 1 Series and a blue Kia Niro on the B3159 between Monkton Park ...

Dorset Police is reminding residents and visitors to keep an eye on their belongings while enjoying the county’s beaches to avoid becoming a victim of theft. With a good weekend of warm weather on its way, officers are keen to ensure people don’t fall victim to theft and are issuing some crime prevention advice: If you don’t ...

During lockdown the Children’s Society charity have not been able to conduct a great deal of fundraising. They have, however, during this time, accumulated a lot of items to sell! Rita, from the Society, told KeeP 106: “The last shop was many moons ago and we took the decision then not to have any more because of ...

Officers investigating a report of suspicious behaviour in Bridport are appealing for anyone with information to come forward. At around 10pm on Sunday 1 August 2021 it was reported that a 15-year-old girl was walking in the area of Foundry Lane, toward Skilling, when she noticed a man walking in the opposite direction. The man appeared ...

Dorset’s Police and Crime Panel has approved the selection of Scott Chilton as the next Chief Constable of Dorset Police. Mr Chilton, who has been serving as the Force’s Deputy Chief Constable for the last year, was confirmed in post by the panel on Thursday August 12. He will take over the role from James Vaughan, who ...

Officers searching for a diver who went missing off the coast of Lulworth in Purbeck have sadly found a body of a man. Carvalho Ildelindo da Silveira, aged in his 60s and from Bramdean in Hampshire, was diving off the coast of Lulworth Cove on Saturday 7 August 2021. He was last seen in the water ...

Officers are appealing for anyone with information to come forward and urging members of the public to remain vigilant following reports of drink spiking incidents in Weymouth. Dorset Police received two reports relating to people needing medical treatment after possibly having their drinks spiked on the night of Friday 30 July into the early hours of ...

Following an unusual year of study – which saw students and staff work with and adapt to the often changing limitations and restrictions imposed by the pandemic – Weymouth College are particularly proud to be celebrating another year of outstanding student achievement. A Level course results were published across the country today (10th August) and the ...

The team at Poundbury Patients Group, the patient participation group for Poundbury Doctors’ Surgery, have come up with a fun and invigorating activity to do over the summer holidays or on autumnal weekends – this is either an exercise you can do alone, with children or as a group. Poundbury Patients (PPG) is inviting patients of ...

Weymouth RNLI Inshore lifeboat was tasked by Solent Coastguard to investigate reports of a lone yachtsman requiring medical assistance. Apparently a 74-year-old lone yachtsman had sustained a head injury shortly after setting sail from Portland heading for Gosport. He decided to anchor his yacht close to the North entrance to Portland Harbour at approx. 7am on ...

The Keep Military Museum has informed us about two important commemoration days in the County Town which are being held following the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions. Restrictions prevented the nation from commemorating the 75th Anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day in May and Victory over Japan (VJ) Day in August in a manner fitting the ...

Two new machines will be hitting the road from this summer to help keep Dorset’s roads clear of rainwater. Dorset Highways has taken ownership of a new gully cart along with a new jetter to support the essential work of its drainage fleet, which forms part of the council’s preventative maintenance programme. Cllr Ray Bryan, Portfolio Holder ...

A man has been jailed for a violent domestic assault in Weymouth after detectives successfully pursued an evidence-led prosecution. Lee Gerrard Slator, aged 41 and of Beverley Road, Weymouth, was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Thursday 5 August 2021 after admitting an offence of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent at a previous hearing at ...