News Archive

Ambassadors have been busy on the streets of Weymouth and other towns across Dorset, helping residents, welcoming visitors, and putting smiles on people’s faces. The Dorset Ambassador programme was conceived, as it was anticipated that, like last year, many people would choose to holiday within the UK rather than travel abroad. This new band of Ambassadors ...

Sustrans Big Pedal, the UK’s largest walking, wheeling, cycling and scooting to school challenge saw school communities across Dorset complete over 29,000 active journeys to school and physical activities between 19-30 April. During the competition, Dorset school children were physically active – walking, cycling, wheeling and scooting to school, and completing physical activities- for a total ...

Bryanston and Bold Voices are preparing for a “pioneering” programme to address societal issues that contribute to gender inequality and gender-based violence. Bryanston School has confirmed plans to extend its established Relationships and Sex Education courses for pupils by introducing a major programme that aims to set a new standard in gender equality education and to ...

South Western Railway (SWR) has announced a new trial of body worn cameras for its guards working out of Fratton depot, Portsmouth. The use of cameras is hoped to reduce anti-social behaviour on SWR’s trains and at its stations, as well as act as a deterrent to assaults, threats and abuse experienced by SWR colleagues. The trial ...

Dorset Police is reminding residents and visitors not to become complacent and to continue to stick with the current COVID-19 restrictions to help halt the spread of the virus. The number of positive COVID-19 cases is increasing across England, mainly involving the Delta variant, and cases in Dorset are highest the younger age groups, particularly among ...

Pharmacies across Dorset offering the life-saving COVID-19 vaccine are reminding people over 40 who have not yet it to get the jab done. There are free jab slots over the coming days of the life-saving vaccine at local pharmacies. There’s still time to get a first dose. And people aged 40 and over are also now able ...

We are continuing to see a rise in COVID-19 infections across Dorset. Case rates in both the Dorset Council area and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council area are now around double last week’s figures. The situation has changed quickly in recent weeks – at the start of June case rates were around 5 per 100,000 ...

Free parking arrangements for NHS and care workers will remain in place through to the end of Sunday 18th July 2021. NHS and care workers can continue to use any Dorset Council-operated car park free of charge until Monday 19th July, provided they are on duty and displaying a relevant permit, or they have registered with ...

Weymouth RNLI lifeboat was launched at 1.30am on Friday 25th June to go to the assistance of a 37’ catamaran with engine failure. Solent Coastguard reported that the vessel which was broken down some 3 miles West of Portland Bill had a single sailor onboard who was exhausted. He was on passage from Salcombe to Portsmouth ...

Officers searching for a woman who went missing from Weymouth are pleased to confirm she has been found safe and well. Lorna Allan, who is 43 years old, was reported missing at 6.11am on Thursday 24 June 2021. It is believed she left an address in the town at around 2am. Following enquiries and searches by officers, ...

The winners of the first Dorchester & Poundbury Business Awards were announced at an awards ceremony held at lunchtime on Thursday, 24th June at the prestigious Minterne House, near Dorchester. Entries for the awards were 80% higher than expected with a split of roughly 50/50 between Dorchester and Poundbury. Congratulations to the following winners: Arts, Crafts and Artisans ...

A scheme to give free PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) to people who provide care and support for others in the Dorset Council area is being extended. Personal assistants (PAs) and unpaid carers living in the Dorset Council area can request free personal protective equipment as they continue to carry out their caring duties through the COVID-19 ...

Dorset Council is working closely with residents, Town and Parish Councils, and community and business representatives as we look to change the way we charge for parking at our car parks across the county from next year. As part of the Parking Transformation project, which seeks to standardise car park prices across the council area, the ...

Next week, Dorset Highways will start carrying out premium surface dressing on large sections of ‘A’ and ‘B’ roads, protecting them from water damage and keeping them in a good condition for longer. Many of these roads have already had patching work completed on them over the last 12 months – repairing any structural defects – ...

The Golden Horizon, the largest square rigged sailing vessel in the world, has just headed to Weymouth Bay. Arriving at Portland, the near-replica of a 1913 vessel is a cruise ship capable of carrying 272 passengers. She has 140 cabins with breath-taking views according to the ship’s website. Its back to basics in terms of propulsion using ...

Officers are appealing for help from the public to identify the owner of a dog that bit a four-year-old girl in Weymouth. At around 3pm on Tuesday 15 June 2021 the victim was walking with her mum on Victoria Street when they saw a man and a teenage girl with a Dalmation dog coming the other ...

The local NHS is reminding anyone aged 18 and over that they are eligible for their COVID-19 vaccination and is asking them to book their appointment to help return to normal life as soon as possible. Vaccination sites are open throughout the county with a number of pharmacies recently coming on-line to offer protection against the ...

A two vehicle collision closed the A354 at Thornicombe today (Monday). It is understood that a silver Honda was traveling in the Dorchester direction and collided with an oncoming Land Rover. It’s believed that the driver of the Honda sustained only minor injuries and the driver of the Land Rover was not injured. The road was closed ...

There’s still time to enter the Thomas Hardy Window Trail Competition. Closing date is Wednesday 30th June at 5pm – Entry forms are available from various locations in Dorchester, including Dorchester town council offices, or can be downloaded from the THVF website www.thomashardyvictorianfair.co.uk. Just like this year’s Thomas Hardy Victorian Fair, there is a live element ...

At last Dorchester Choral Society is able to sing together and perform as a full choir. The choir is putting on a celebratory, free concert, “Music for a Summer Evening” on Saturday 26th June 2021 at 7.00pm outdoors in Borough Gardens, Dorchester. Choir conductor, Colin Howard has put together a programme of short, popular choral pieces ...

Dorchester’s Brewery Square will play host to the Dorchester Classic Vehicle Club on Saturday 26th June as the popular shopping destination welcomes a range of classic cars to its main square. Vintage car lovers can get their fill of beautiful classic models between 12pm and 2pm at the show, which will also include live jazz music ...

West Dorset Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) are pleased to announce that the Rose and Crown in the village of Longburton near Sherborne has won this year’s Pub of the Year Award. The competition this year was run slightly differently with local CAMRA members being asked to nominate a pub that not only fitted the usual ...

Weymouth RNLI Inshore lifeboat was launched on the afternoon of Saturday 19th June to reports of someone in the water at Newtons Cove with leg injuries believed to have been caused from a propeller of a boat which had been towing a ringo. It is believed that the injuries may have been sustained whilst attempts were ...

Throughout the past few months we have experienced low case rates across Dorset, but in line with the rest of the country, the local situation has changed in the last couple of weeks and cases have risen quickly. The Dorset Council case rate is now 28 per 100,000, up from 11.1 last week. In Bournemouth, ...

It is with sadness that we hear that the oldest person in the UK has passed away on the 6th June. Lillian Priest was 112 years old and lived in Swanage at the York House Nursing Home. The second eldest of 5 children, four girls and a boy, Lillian spent her early years in Tredegar, Wales ...

This item was originally published in April 2019. It has been updated with the latest information on where to find defibrillators in Dorchester. Following on from the great news of the newly installed community defibrillator outside of the Prince of Wales School in Dorchester, we have been talking about additional places in the town where you ...

Emergency services will be able to respond faster to casualties in need, as they are ‘brought into the 21st century’ with new 5G connectivity. Lulworth First Responders – volunteers with South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) – are working with technology and connectivity partner Excelerate Technology to benefit from 5G capabilities and better respond ...

As the largest ever NHS vaccination programme enters its last lap, local GP and Clinical Director of Shore Medical Primary Care Network Dr Andy Rutland (pictured) has encouraged local residents to come forward for their first jab and remember to get their second dose, which they called “vital and lifesaving”. The plea comes as people ...

Alcohol isn’t an excuse for bad behaviour. Dorset Police is advising people of the consequences of drinking too much and letting their emotions get the better of them during this summer’s European Football Championship. This summer’s event will see England, Scotland and Wales all in action across various venues – including Wembley Stadium. Many licensed premises have ...

On 15th June Dorset Action on Pensions held an event aimed to give a visual and emotional reminder to Dorset Pension Fund with their ‘stop’ funding fossil fuel companies before it’s too late and ‘go’ invest in something positive for our future messages. The group are stepping up their campaign because, they say, for every £££ ...

Water refill points are popping up in new locations in the Wessex Water region, including Weymouth and Dorchester. Three new units in Hope Square, Esplanade and Alexandra Gardens have now been switched on for Weymouth residents and visitors to enjoy, with a fourth in New Bond Street also installed and due to be ready soon. South Street ...

High-achieving former pupils return to support next generation of musicians at Bryanston. The insight and expertise of former pupils of Bryanston who are now highly respected musicians and performers on the world stage are proving to be invaluable for current music scholars at the School. Robert Saxton, an acclaimed composer who is currently Professor of Composition ...

Officers investigating an attempted burglary in Dorchester are asking for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. The incident, in which the occupants of a property in the Lubbecke Way area saw a man trying to reach through a partially open window, happened at around 7.45pm on Sunday 13 June 2021. When one of the occupants ...

Minna Leatham, 20, is on a personal mission to raise funds for Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance (DSAA) and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance (HIOWAA) – the two charities who dramatically flew to her aid following a terrifying, high-speed road traffic collision on 16 November 2020. Minna has currently raised £22,000 to be ...

Detectives investigating an assault in Weymouth are appealing for any witnesses to come forward. Sometime between 4pm and 5pm on Thursday 10 June 2021 an altercation occurred in an alleyway off Louviers Road, opposite Goulds Garden Centre. The victim, a 17-year-old local boy, and another man were approached by a group of around five men. During the ...

If you’re aged 25 or over, or you’ll turn 25 before 1 July 2021, you can now book your COVID-19 vaccine. It’s important that you have 2 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine at 2 appointments and that you get the 2nd dose 8 to 12 weeks after getting your 1st dose. More information on booking your COVID-19 ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward following an attempted robbery in Dorchester. At around 8.15am on Wednesday 9 June 2021 a nine-year-old boy was walking on Kings Road, near to the junction with Icen Way, when a man approached him and grabbed his rucksack. During the incident, the victim was punched ...

The RNLI has just started an award scheme to enable the charity to recognise the efforts of its supporters and fund raisers for their efforts during the annual Mayday Mile appeal. The RNLI Golden Welly Awards are an opportunity to celebrate the fantastic work and the amazing contribution that RNLI fundraisers bring to the Mayday fund ...

Dorset Council has agreed a protocol that will allow Section 106 funds from developers to be transferred to town and parish councils and community groups to spend on agreed community facilities. Section 106 funding is a legal agreement between developer and planning authority (Dorset Council). It is used to make a development acceptable in planning terms ...

Weymouth RNLI Inshore lifeboat was launched at 5.10pm on Tuesday 8th June in response to reports of someone in difficulties near to the groyne at Greenhill. Arriving on scene shortly after, the crew found that a female who was up to neck level in the water was already being dealt with by RNLI lifeguards, Coastguards and ...

Officers would like to remind the public to respect the area following reports of anti-social behaviour at recent ‘car meets’ in Weymouth and Portland. During the evening of Saturday 5 June 2021 there were large gatherings of cars in various locations across the area, including Mount Pleasant Park and Ride, Radipole, Portland, Swannery car park and ...

A man has been arrested in connection with an investigation into an alleged assault in Weymouth. Dorset Police received a report at 2.30am on Monday 31 May 2021 from the ambulance service of a stabbing on Westhill Road near to the junction with Pirates Lane. It was reported that the victim – a man aged in his ...

Weymouth lifeboat fundraising chair Teresa Drage has been shortlisted for a brand-new RNLI award called The Golden Welly. The RNLI Golden Welly Awards are an opportunity to celebrate the fantastic work and the amazing contribution that RNLI fundraisers bring to the Mayday fund raising campaign. These brand-new awards are just for RNLI volunteers and staff, to recognise ...

Dorset Police have released two appeals on behalf of the Coroner for Dorset seeking the assistance of the public to find the next of kin of two persons who lived in Weymouth and have recently died. Stuart Gomm, who was 56 years old, died at his home address in Bedford Road on Tuesday 1 June 2021. Mark ...

A residential home for children with complex learning difficulties and disabilities has been rated ‘good’ by Ofsted inspectors. The Cherries, run by Dorset Council, is based in Weymouth and provides long-term care and accommodation for up to nine children. Ofsted visited the home in April and looked at the following main areas: the experiences and progress of children ...

Case rates remain low in the Dorset Council and BCP area this week. However, nationally, cases are starting to increase so it is important to remain vigilant to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Dorset. The best way to protect yourself and others is to continue to follow the rules on hands, face, space and fresh ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward following reported assault and sexual assault on Weymouth beach. It is reported that at around 5pm on Tuesday 1 June 2021 a man approached a group of teenagers, aged between 15 and 16 years old, between Greenhill and Brunswick Terrace and during an interaction ...

Weymouth RNLI Inshore lifeboat was launched at 3.49pm on Thursday 3rd June to reports from the Coastguard of a person having fallen onto rocks/sea at Pulpit Rock, Portland Bill. On scene at 4.02pm, a request was sent for the station’s All-Weather lifeboat also be launched should extra help be needed. On scene, the volunteer crew of the ...

KeeP 106 has been told about the Raising Spirit Festival to be held at Came House near Dorchester later this month. Dave Harris says, “A Very Good Friend of mine, well known local musician Ben Waters, is holding an amazing festival on 18th – 20th June at Came House Dorchester and I am supporting him in ...

This morning (Thursday 3rd June) a patient at Dorset County Hospital was able to present a cheque, to Senior Sister Claire Thompson at the Renal Department, for £1089! Simon Marfell who is undergoing treatment said: “The money was raised by my two amazing daughters as they each managed to do 3,000 squats during the month of ...

Dorset Police worked alongside Dorset Council to tackle unauthorised encampments in West Dorset over the bank holiday weekend. At around 6.30pm on Friday 28 May 2021 officers were called to reports of a group of travellers at Weymouth Rugby Club. They attended and spoke to the group, before monitoring the incident overnight. Separate unauthorised encampments were ...

A roofer working on a house in Weymouth has pleaded guilty to misleading the owner about what he said was urgent work required to her roof. On 27 May, at Winchester Crown Court, Mr Michael Leonard Coppinger (aged 35) of Weymouth was sentenced to 60 hours community service and ordered to pay £735 costs. The prosecution ...

Dorset Police is reminding motorists to be mindful of all road users this summer in an effort to reduce the number of people seriously injured or killed on the county’s roads. The May bank holiday weekend saw residents and visitors make the most of the beautiful weather in our stunning county. Sadly, two motorcyclists lost their lives ...

A man has been arrested in connection with an alleged assault on Portland. It was reported that at around 10.30am on Saturday 29 May 2021 a man aged in his 60s was assaulted outside The Paper Shop on Fortuneswell. The victim suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment. Following enquiries by detectives from Weymouth CID, ...

Friends Of MV Freedom, a group of volunteers based in Weymouth, have been honoured with The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK. The group have provided access to the sea for those people living with disability since 1984 and have recently taken delivery of their fourth ...

Chair of fundraising at Weymouth lifeboat station Teresa Drage has just completed the final mile in the RNLI Mayday Mile Challenge. The RNLI Mayday Challenge is the annual fundraiser for the RNLI in which everyone is encouraged to travel a mile a day by any means for every day of May. Teresa who uses a walking frame ...

Detectives investigating an assault in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. Dorset Police received a report at 2.30am on Monday 31 May 2021 from the ambulance service of a stabbing on Westhill Road near to the junction with Pirates Lane. It is reported that the victim – a man aged in ...

Officers investigating a fatal road traffic collision near Dorchester are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. The incident, which happened on Coombe Road in Winterbourne Steepleton, was reported to police at 7.23pm on Sunday 30 May 2021. It involved a black Harley Davidson motorcycle and a grey Ford Focus. Sadly, the motorcyclist – ...

Police officers searching for a missing woman from Wareham are pleased to update that she has been located after a multi-agency search and rescue operation. Elke Jaeger, 61, had last been seen at 12.30pm on Saturday 29 May at her home and reported missing at 1.36am today (Sunday 30 May) when she was not found to ...

Officers investigating an assault on Portland are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. At around 10.30am on Saturday 29 May 2021 the victim, a local man in his 60s, was walking past a Skoda saloon car, which was parked outside The Paper Shop on Fortuneswell, when a verbal argument occurred. The male front ...