News Archive

Yesterday, Friday 26th March, emergency teams including the Air Ambulance, Coastguards, Police and Fire Crews descended on the bulk carrier Beks Yilmaz at Portland Port in response to an incident. It has been reported that a man has sadly died after being found in a vat of grain in a hold of the ship. Police have ...

COVID-19 case rates across Dorset have remained at similar levels this week, with a slight fall in the case rate for the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council area. Case rates for both council areas are lower than the England average and around the same as the South West average. COVID-related hospital admissions and deaths continue ...

A man has been jailed for racially abusing and spitting toward a family visiting Bridport. Daniel Lavery, aged 39 and of South Walk, Bridport, was sentenced at Weymouth Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 25 March 2021 after admitting offences of using racially aggravated threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause fear of or ...

Dorset Police has launched a new programme to protect victims of domestic abuse by disrupting, challenging and changing the behaviours of serial offenders and those deemed to be the most high-risk. The DRIVE programme, which is delivered by Hampton Trust, is a partnership initiative between Dorset Police, Office of the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, BCP ...

Weymouth RNLI Inshore lifeboat was launched at 7.50pm on Thursday 25th March 2021 to go to the aid of a speedboat with 4 persons onboard which had broken down approximately ½ mile East of Weymouth Harbour. The lifeboat was on scene at 8pm and the lifeboat crew quickly established that all those on board were safe ...

Dorset Police are working with DocBike and Dorset Road Safe Partnership to launch a campaign seeking to buck the trend in springtime biker fatalities. In Dorset, per mile travelled, more motorcyclists will be killed or critically injured than any other road user. Nationally, approximately 10 motorcyclists are killed or seriously injured every day. Dr Ian Mew, ...

Councillors on Dorset Council’s Cabinet are set to discuss recommendations at its meeting on 6 April which could see approval for the banning of disposable BBQs on Dorset land in high fire risk areas across Dorset. The proposals do not recommend a blanket ban on disposable BBQs in the whole of the county, only in areas ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with relevant dashcam footage to come forward following a fatal road traffic collision near Dorchester. Dorset Police was called at 12.32pm on Thursday 25 March 2021 to a report of a collision involving a brown Honda Jazz on Long Street in Cerne Abbas. It is reported that the car was ...

Political and business leaders have welcomed news that rural Dorset will be among the first areas in the country to benefit from the government’s new £5bn gigabit broadband fund. It follows months of behind-the-scenes lobbying for better broadband in Dorset, led by West Dorset MP Chris Loder and Dorset Council’s deputy leader, Cllr Peter Wharf. The funding ...

In recent months Dorset Police has seen a rise in reported stalking offences reflecting a national increase in domestic related incidents. The increase in offences is likely partly due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2020 there have also been changes to the way these offences were recorded, with harassment offences that are ...

The Range is planning to open a new store in Weymouth next month. The new store will be located on the site of the old Debenhams on New Bond Street and is due to open on Friday 30th April. In line with current Government guidelines, additional safety measures will be in place when the store ...

Loneliness is a very current problem for millions of people in this country, a situation made worse by the pandemic. It is an emotive subject which touches many people through family, friends, or communities. Ben Sloyan, a young member of the Dorchester based Casterbridge Speakers Club, gave an impassioned presentation about loneliness at the Toastmasters International ...

A man who attacked a woman and threatened her with a knife as she walked along a coast path in West Dorset has been jailed. Vytautas Ausrota, aged 30 and of Plymouth in Devon, was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Monday 22 March 2021 after admitting offences of threatening with an offensive weapon, committing an ...

The Organisers of the Dorset County Show have announced that a series of events will be hosted across Dorset in place of the main Dorset County Show event this year. Launching in the summer, the diverse programme of events aims to promote Dorset’s renowned agricultural industry, as well as the county’s range of high-quality food and ...

Yesterday afternoon (Saturday 20 Mar 2021), officers detained two males in the Westham area of Weymouth following reports of drug dealing activity in the area. Both males were searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act. During the search a large quantity of cash and suspected Class A drugs were located. Two males, aged 18 and 19, who ...

World Sleep Day took place on 19th March, a celebration of the benefits a good and healthy sleep can bring to our lives. It also aims to help raise awareness of the problems that a bad night’s sleep can bring and help those with sleep problems. The slogan for this year is ‘Regular Sleep, Healthier ...

Parents can get rapid COVID-19 testing. Since schools re-opened on 8 March, secondary school and college students have taken part in initial lateral flow device (LFD) testing at their school or college. They have now been given home test kits to continue testing themselves at home. These tests are for those who show no COVID-19 symptoms. If you are ...

Officers are appealing for anyone with information to come forward after a car window was shattered near Bere Regis. The incident occurred at around 8.25am on Monday 15 March 2021 while the victim was driving along the A35 on the single carriageway between the Townsend roundabout and the Puddletown bypass. It is reported that the passenger ...

Weldmar Hospicecare is launching ‘Weldmar at Home’, a new service described as the local charity’s biggest ever development in patient care, and has launched a major fundraising appeal to help finance it. Working in partnership with Weldmar Community Nurses, the Weldmar at Home team will ensure that care is available in the home, when it is ...

Officers in Weymouth stopped a vehicle earlier today (Thursday 18 March 2021) on the A354 in Wyke Regis. It transpired the driver didn’t have a valid licence or insurance. The vehicle was seized and the driver has been reported for a number of driving offences. Following a search a quantity of drugs were also located. The driver ...

Dorset County Hospital’s Diagnostic Imaging Department has been received national recognition for the quality of its services. The department has been granted the Quality Standard for Imaging (QSI) accreditation. The UKAS accreditation is recognition of the department’s dedication to provide a safe and efficient service for our patients. To achieve accreditation a department must submit written evidence against ...

Dorset Council’s Scrutiny committee will meet on 25 March to discuss recommendations to reduce the number of council-owned offices in Dorchester by using buildings more efficiently, offering annual savings of over half a million pounds. The proposals are the culmination of extensive work that began shortly after Dorset Council was formed, reviewing the council’s office estate ...

Officers investigating a fatal road traffic collision near Wimborne are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. The incident, which happened on the B3082 Blandford Road close to the turning for Kingston Lacy, was reported to police at 12.58pm on Wednesday 17 March 2021. It involved a gold-coloured Honda motorcycle. Officers attended the scene ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses to come forward following an alleged affray incident in Dorchester – with one man arrested. Dorset Police was called at around 3.50pm on Monday 15 March 2021 to a report of a man with a baseball bat in the Maumbury Road area near to the traffic lights junction. It is alleged that ...

The Dorset Police Cyber Crime Facebook page has the following warning: Keep your eyes peeled for this scam text that’s doing the rounds. This one is fairly well known by now, but it can be very convincing so it’s well worth a reminder. This particular link takes you to a convincing lookalike of the Royal Mail website, ...

The Dorchester & Poundbury Business awards remain open for your nominations. Organiser Nigel Reeve says: ‘I would like to thank everybody who has been involved so far, the response has been fantastic. We’ve come a long way since the December launch”. We now also know the venue for the awards ceremony, which is Minterne House, and is ...

Dorset Police Deputy Chief Constable Scott Chilton and Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill are issuing a message to Dorset’s communities about violence against women. “Over the last week many people in our communities have understandably felt the need to speak out about their experiences and fears of violence, abuse or harassment in this country. “We acknowledge ...

Diverse Abilities, in partnership with Charity Challenge, has launched its Dorset 3 Peaks challenge for 2021. Taking place on Saturday June 19, participants trek across the Wessex Ridgeway to raise funds for Dorset’s disability charity. Participants will ascend to the top of Lewesdon Hill, Pilsdon Pen, and Bulbarrow Hill on Saturday June 19. Summiting an accumulative ...

On Thursday 11th March, at around 12:45, Officers attended an incident in the fields opposite Poundbury cemetery. There was a report of a suspicious male who appeared to be whistling for a dog that did not belong to him. A search of the area was conducted but it is believed the male left in a vehicle prior ...

Detectives investigating a suspicious fire in Dorchester are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. At around 10.40pm on Thursday 11 March 2021 Dorset Police received a report of a fire in a bin store at an address in Foundry Place. Officers attended, along with the fire service and the fire was extinguished. A 48-year-old ...

Electric vehicle chargepoints have been installed and are live at Wollaston Field car park, Dorchester; Gas Lane, Gillingham; Old Market Yard, Sherborne; The Hub car park, Verwood; and King Street car park, Wimborne. These offer residents and businesses a cleaner and greener way to travel in Dorset. Further chargepoints will be switched on in the coming ...

A man has been sentenced following the death of a man during an assault at an address in Weymouth. Mark Robert Bosworth, 48, of Dorchester Road in Weymouth, was found guilty on Thursday 11 March 2021 of the manslaughter of 32-year-old David Andrew Thomson following a trial at Winchester Crown Court. He was sentenced to six ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward following an attempted robbery in Dorchester. At around 2.25pm on Tuesday 9 March 2021 Dorset Police received a report that a 17-year-old boy had been assaulted in an alleyway near to Tesco on Weymouth Avenue. It is reported that he walked past two men who ...

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has pledged to do more to ensure it is a fully inclusive employer following the publication of the latest NHS National Staff Survey results. The annual survey gives an important insight into what it’s like working in NHS trusts throughout the country and the results are used to review and ...

Dorset Council are starting to send out council tax bills this week and have published an article which explains its budget and the reasons for the council tax increase. The council has increased its budget for next financial year to £313 million (from £304 million last year). The annual budget pays for all the services the council provides ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward after damage was caused to a rainbow banner outside a school in Dorchester. At around 8.30pm on Sunday 7 March 2021 it was discovered that a plastic rainbow banner that was on the front gate of The Prince of Wales School on Maiden Castle ...

From Monday 8 March, restrictions start to lift and the government’s four-step roadmap offers a route back to a more normal life. From 8 March: pupils and students in all schools and further education can return to face-to-face education with testing measures in place you can spend time in outdoor public spaces for recreation on your own, with ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward after a man allegedly indecently exposed himself in Weymouth. The incident occurred at around 5.15pm on Thursday 4 March 2021. It is reported that a man was on the beach opposite The Nook bar indecently exposing himself and performing a lewd act. Officers attended and ...

Household recycling centres once again straining under increased visitor numbers. Do not visit a household recycling centre (HRC, or “the tip”) right now unless your waste cannot be stored safely at home. This is the simple message that Dorset Council is using to help deal with rising visitor numbers. Recent warm weather has resulted in HRCs becoming ...

Neighbourhood Policing Officers were called to Weymouth Swimming Pool Car Park on Knightsdale Road after reports of a large group of youths causing anti-social behaviour. The area was searched with no trace. Officers attended later in the evening and located vehicles parked in the car park. When officers asked for a reason as to why they ...

The latest update from Public Health Dorset: Over 300,000 Dorset residents have taken up the offer of getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Have you thought about how you’ll get to your appointment? If you don’t have your own transport or you’re not sure how to get there, your council can help with travel advice and they can also ...

Dorset Council celebrates as it receives £19 million of government funding to reduce its carbon footprint. Councillors and officers are working hard on how they intend to update and upgrade Dorset Council’s properties using £19 million of grant funding, awarded by the government to help to tackle the Climate and Ecological Emergency. This programme of work will ...

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 ...