News Archive

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 . ...

Dorset Police recognised police officers, staff and volunteers for their exceptional contribution to policing at the annual awards ceremony on Wednesday 26 February 2020. The ceremony, which took place at Queen Elizabeth School in Wimborne, saw a total of 24 awards presented to the recipients in the company of family and friends. Following nominations from colleagues within ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is working with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) as part of a national campaign encouraging people to become on-call firefighters. The ‘Need More’ awareness week runs from 2nd March and will highlight opportunities available in the fire service while busting myths about what it takes to be a ...

Dorset Council and Network Rail are celebrating after winning over £1.1m in special government funding to improve road safety in Weymouth by removing the rail tracks from the old Weymouth Harbour Branch Line. The Department for Transport (DfT) announced today that Dorset Council was successful in its joint bid with Network Rail for funding to dismantle ...

The Volunteer Centre Dorset are appealing for more volunteers to come forward and be part of the Community Credit Scheme, a project set up and managed by them at the Volunteer Centre Dorset based in Dorchester. They have just celebrated their sixth, successful year and are seeking new volunteers throughout Dorset for various roles which ...

Dorset Council has successfully prosecuted a man for fly-tipping offences. Dominic Adrian Woods, 33, pleaded guilty to a charge of fly-tipping at Weymouth Magistrates Court on 17 February, and was given a suspended sentence of four weeks, on condition that he commit no further offences during the next 12 months. He was ordered to pay £115 victim ...

A Flood Alert has been issued by the Environment Agency. River levels have risen at the Burton Bradstock river gauge as a result of the ground being saturated and reacting to further rainfall.  Consequently, the risk of flooding remains.  We believe there is a possibility of flooding for the Rivers Lim, Char, Winniford, Simene, Brit, Asker, ...

Think of the care that Weldmar Hospicecare provides in Dorset, and your first thought may be their hospice in Dorchester, or it could be the dedicated community nursing team who visit patients in their own homes across the county. The charity’s care extends beyond this front line of amazing doctors and nurses, and there is a ...

Fire crews from Dorchester station were mobilised to a Road Traffic Collision on the Ridgeway, between Weymouth and Dorchester. Upon arrival the service found a car on its side, with one person trapped. Crews stabilised the car using ‘stabfast’ equipment along with chocks and blocks and extricated the casualty through the windscreen. Crews then made up and left ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses to come forward after a spate of criminal damage at a church in Dorchester. At 11.58am on Wednesday 19 February 2020 Dorset Police was called to reports of criminal damage to the Pentecostal Church on Cambridge Road. It was reported that rocks had been thrown overnight at the rear windows of the ...

A new fundraising initiative at Dorset County Hospital will help provide earlier diagnosis for patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Friends of Dorset County Hospital have pledged to raise £20,000 for a new ultrasound machine for the Rheumatology Department. The machine will be able to assist in the early diagnosis and treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis, an autoimmune condition ...

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) is calling on farmers, land owners and land managers to report any damage they find to the electricity network on their land, following the recent storms that have swept across SSEN’s central southern England distribution area. The high winds and heavy rain brought by Storms Ciara and Dennis brought significant ...

A bid led by Dorset Council has been awarded £4.335m to help understand how rural communities could benefit from next generation mobile connectivity. A consortium of council, local, national and international partners plans to show that mobile infrastructure can be delivered cost effectively and sensitively to benefit rural businesses and communities. The Dorset project is one ...

These are the current flood warnings issued by the Environment Agency. Please note previous warnings for Upper Frome, Maiden Newton to Dorchester, and Lower Frome from Dorchester to East Stoke are no longer in force. Cerne Valley – The groundwater levels in the Dickley Down borehole are currently at 167.2 mAOD and are falling. We believe there is ...

Chris Loder, MP for West Dorset, has achieved an unprecedented compensation package for commuters and season ticket holders impacted by strike action, following pressure from Parliament last week. Mr Loder, who is also chairman of the newly-formed All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the South Western Railway (SWR) area, which met last Tuesday, has welcomed today’s ...

Step into spring and enjoy a night of dancing to toe-tapping tunes as Artsreach celebrates 30 years of bringing live, professional performances to rural communities across Dorset. Artsreach launched its first programme in 1990, with just nine communities hosting events. Now, thirty years on, the touring arts charity partners with volunteers in over 50 rural communities ...

Officers investigating a burglary at a community centre in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. Between 11pm on Sunday 16 February and 8.30am on Monday 17 February 2020 a burglary occurred in the bar area at The Frank Reynolds Community Centre on Dorchester Road. Damage was caused to a door to ...

A man has been arrested in connection with an alleged hate crime on Portland following a CCTV appeal. It was reported that at around 8.20pm on Tuesday 28 January 2020 the driver of the number 1 First bus stopped at Victoria Square to allow passengers on. A man boarded the bus and went to sit down ...

A man is due to appear in court in connection with an alleged fail-to-stop collision in Weymouth. At approximately 6.15am on Wednesday 24 July 2019 it was reported that a cyclist was involved in a collision with a red Honda Civic on Greenhill near to the junction with Westerhall Road. It was alleged that the Honda ...

Dorset Council has been awarded nearly £500,000 of government funding to help tackle rough sleeping in the county. This further grant of £472,470 from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) follows a bid by Dorset Council’s Housing Team. Dorset Council worked on the bid with The Lantern, Julian House, The Bus Shelter and Citizens ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is reminding local people about the dangers of flooding as Storm Dennis brings heavy rain and strong winds to the region. With the bad weather likely to last over the weekend, the Service wants drivers to understand and recognise the dangers of surface water on the roads. Group Manager Karen ...

A Flood Alert has been issued by the Environment Agency. Flooding is possible for: Lyme Regis, Charmouth, Seatown, West Bay, Bothenhampton, Burton Freshwater, Burton Bradstock, Cogdean Beach, Chesil Beach, West Fleet, East Fleet and Chiswell. Storm Dennis is forecast this weekend with Met Office yellow weather warnings for wind and rain along the West Coast of ...

Organisers of Dorchester Beerex 2020, West Dorset Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA) in partnership with Casterbridge Rotary club are extremely proud to announce this year’s grand total will be in excess of 19.5K by far the most money the festival has ever made. Profits will be divided up between various good causes with Dorset Mind ...

A detective constable with Dorset Police has been dismissed after being found to have committed gross misconduct. DC Nick Gravenor was the subject of a public misconduct hearing following a thorough investigation into allegations that he had used inappropriate sexualised language toward a colleague and subjected her to unwanted physical contact of a sexual nature. It was ...

A man has been arrested in connection with a reported assault in Weymouth. At around 4.30am on Friday 18 October 2019 it was reported that a 24-year-old man was approached by two men after leaving Actor’s bar in the town. One of the men allegedly hit the victim over the back of the head near to ...

The Met Office has issued a weather warning for Saturday 15 February. Storm Dennis is expected to arrive around 12pm on Saturday lunchtime through to Sunday lunchtime. Storm Dennis is expected to bring outbreaks of rain, heavy and intense at times, with mist and fog over hills and coasts, and is expected to affect all of ...

The Environment Agency has issued two flood warnings for Preston Beach and the West coast of Dorset. It is believed there is a possibility of flooding  of land adjacent to The Sea Life Centre and on the Preston Beach Road area of Lodmoor. Waves are forecast to overtop sea defences at Preston Beach Road with sea ...

Detectives investigating the reported rape of a teenage girl in Dorchester have arrested a man. Dorset Police received a report that at around 9.20pm on Thursday 5 December 2019 a 15-year-old girl was raped in a field at St Osmund’s School in Barnes Way. It was reported that the victim was walking along the field when she ...

Officers investigating an incident on the A356 near Dorchester are appealing for witnesses or anyone with relevant dashcam footage to come forward. Dorset Police was called at 2.23pm on Thursday 30 January 2020 to a report of a collision involving a car and a group of dogs at Toller Down Gate near Rampisham. One of the dogs ...

Officers searching for missing man Adrian Cordery are pleased to confirm he has been located safe and well. The man, aged in his 30s, was last seen in the Bockhampton area near Dorchester at around 6.30pm on Monday 10 February 2020. Following enquiries, he has now been located safe and well. We would like to thank everyone ...

A new initiative being trialled at Dorset County Hospital will allow patients to attend appointments at the touch of a button. Attend Anywhere is a new type of software which allows patients to attend their appointments whilst in the comfort of their own home. The software is part of a Dorset-wide trial with Paediatric Consultant William Verling ...

Women giving birth at Dorset County Hospital can be assured of high standards of care. Results from the Care Quality Commission’s 2019 Maternity Survey highlighted DCH as surpassing the national average in a number of key areas. The Trust’s results were rated higher than most trusts for seven questions, with the most positive results relating to women’s ...

A man is due to appear in court in relation to a drugs warrant executed by officers near Dorchester. At around 8.55am on Wednesday 9 January 2019 officers carried out a warrant at two properties in the Wardon Hill area. Inside four lorry containers officers found what were suspected to be cannabis plants being grown. A 49-year-old man ...

Ambulance handover times at Dorset County Hospital are now the quickest in the South West region thanks to an innovative new approach. The Emergency Department (ED) team have established a Flow Assistance Bay (FAB) which has made a significant difference to how fast patients coming into the department from ambulances can be assessed and treated. Ambulance crews ...

Officers investigating an incident of sexual assault and physical assault against two people in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. Some time between 3am and 4am on Sunday 2 February 2020 a man and a woman were walking along the Esplanade near to Marks & Spencer when two men approached ...

Children can sign up as a Junior Safety Inspector to discover how to stay safe, build confidence and learn valuable skills for life this February half term at SafeWise in Weymouth. The fun and interactive family tours are back by popular demand at the charity’s learning village next to Weymouth Fire Station on Radipole Lane. The self-guided ...

Residents of Dorset are being invited to attend their NHS Health Check. The NHS Health Check is a free check-up of people’s overall health. It can tell people whether they are at higher risk of getting certain health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease and stroke. People may have already been sent letters inviting them ...

Officers investigating a road traffic collision in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with relevant dashcam footage to come forward. Dorset Police was called at 10.54am on Wednesday 5 February 2020 to a report of a collision involving a white Volvo S40 and a bicycle on Shrubbery Lane near to Foords Corner. Officers attended the scene, ...

NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (together with health, care and voluntary sector partners across Dorset) have launched a project called ‘Your Mind Your Say’ to seek views on mental health services for children and young people. There have been various pieces of view seeking work done by other organisations over the last few years and the ...

Officers investigating a serious injury fail-to-stop collision in Weymouth are appealing for the driver of the vehicle or any witnesses to come forward. At around 4pm on Sunday 19 January 2020 a collision occurred on Radipole Lane at the junction with Hereford Road involving a car and a motorbike. The car failed to stop at the ...

Weldmar Hospicecare has launched the first charity shop window contactless donation point in Dorset. It allows anyone to make an immediate donation to the Dorset charity, day or night, if they are passing the device in the street. Weldmar has just launched a trial run with the device in their shop in Trinity Street in Dorchester, ...

Chris Loder, the MP for West Dorset, has today introduced ‘Loder’s Law’ Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill in the House of Commons. The Private Members’ Bill makes provision for the maximum penalty for certain offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to be increased from six months to up to five years. The MP, who is a ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses to come forward after a car failed to stop when requested near Dorchester. At 8.51pm on Wednesday 29 January 2020 it was reported that a silver Mitsubishi pick-up failed to stop for officers when requested after it had been seen speeding on the A35 Puddletown bypass. The vehicle was subsequently reported to ...