News Archive

Community and voluntary organisations working in and around Dorchester will be pleased to hear that the Dorchester Market Car Boot Fund is open for applications. The income from weekly Car Boots sales held in Dorchester is distributed annually to local community and voluntary organisations in and around Dorchester to benefit projects operating within or supporting residents ...

Police and Crime Panel members have approved plans to raise the amount of money households pay to fund Dorset Police by £10 a year. This is less than the amount Dorset residents said they would be prepared to pay during a public consultation, and the additional money will enable the Force to deliver a balanced budget ...

Would you like to earn while you learn? If so an apprenticeship could be for you. An apprenticeship could offer you the opportunity to start your career, change direction or develop your skills. A wide range of apprenticeships are on offer and hundreds of people across Dorset have already benefitted. Rebecca Buck is Dorset Council’s first Apprentice ...

It’s Children’s Mental Health Week and Dorset Libraries are promoting Reading Well for Children, a new reading list to support children’s mental health and well-being. Reading Well for Children, created by The Reading Agency, is a list of 33 titles aimed at children aged 7 – 11. The books provide advice and stories to support children’s mental health and well-being. All the ...

Officers investigating an alleged assault in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses to come forward. It was reported that at around 3.30pm on Saturday 1 February 2020 an 18-year-old man was assaulted behind Londis on Southview Road at the junction with Abbotsbury Road. The victim sustained a fractured jaw that required an operation. Two boys, aged 14 and 15, ...

Local residents are invited to have their say on a plan reflecting the community’s vision for the Parish of Milton Abbas. The Milton Abbas Neighbourhood Plan sets out a range of planning policies and has been submitted to Dorset Council by the Parish Council. The plan’s objectives include meeting local housing needs while ensuring that the design ...

Officers investigating reports of an assault in Weymouth town centre are appealing for witnesses and the victim to come forward. Dorset Police received a third party report of the incident, which occurred at around 9am on Tuesday 28 January 2020 outside New Look at the junction of New Bond Street and St Thomas Street. It was ...

A new guide aimed to help people take steps to protect themselves from cyber and identity crime is released this month from the British Computer Society. Andy Taylor who is a volunteer Digital Champion with Dorset Council who also works full time as an independent information security adviser, has co-written the guide. Andy is based at ...

If you see a fly-tip, make a note of where it is, take a picture if you can, and note down any other details. You can report it by using Dorset Council’s online form or calling the council on 01305 221040 . Never touch the waste or confront fly-tippers. Check that a waste carrier is registered on the Environment Agency’s ...

If you are looking to save a few extra pounds this year, protect the environment and meet new people, why not sign up to CarShare Dorset? The first month of the New Year is almost over, but it is not too late to start a new year’s resolution for 2020. By signing up to car share not ...

Officers investigating an unprovoked assault on an 18-year-old man in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. At around 5.45pm on Monday 20 January 2020 the victim was walking through an alleyway between Lorton Lane and Court Road when he was confronted by a man. The victim attempted to step to the ...

Dorset Council is today launching a 12-week public consultation on rules about dogs in public spaces This will help with the development of the new Dorset-wide Dog-related Public Spaces Protection Order. The consultation is a chance for people – residents, business owners, organisations and visitors – to have their say on where and when they think ...

Weldmar Hospicecare have revealed major changes to their flagship annual fundraising event, the Midnight Walk. Now called The Moonlight Walk, the event will be open to men for the first time, and with an earlier start time of 10pm, children from the age of 10 will also be welcome to take part with family members. Weldmar’s Midnight ...

The Dorchester Market Car Boot Fund has awarded over £15,000 worth of grants to community organisations in the Dorchester area. Dorset Council collects the income from people who hired pitches at the weekly car boot sales. These are held on Sunday mornings in Fairfield Car Park in Dorchester. All the income collected is then awarded ...

A new team of midwives will be focusing their care on expectant mothers in North Dorset to ensure stronger and more personal relationships are built before the birth. A national review of maternity services highlighted that expectant mothers and their families would prefer to be cared for by a small team of midwives they can form ...

Dorset Council is looking for the relatives of the WWII Ferndown Auxiliary Unit. This group of specially trained volunteers were members of the Home Guard and practised their drills at their secret Operations Base at the Belle Vue Bunker on Poor Common in Ferndown. The bunker was recently rediscovered by the Coleshill Auxiliary Research Team and ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) is reminding people about the dangers of portable heaters, after a man in his nineties had to be rescued from a fire at his home in Sturminster Newton. Firefighters from Sturminster Newton and Blandford were called to the property at 1:22am on 14 January, and found the halogen ...

Officers investigating an assault in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. The assault occurred on The Esplanade between Aura and the Lazy Lizard at around 3am on Sunday 22 December 2019. The victim, a man aged in his 20s, was punched to the head from behind and knocked to the ...

Dorset Council is looking for your thoughts on how to financially support the voluntary community sector beyond March 2021. A total of £1.9 million has been invested this year into the voluntary community sector (VCS) by all six predecessor councils in the Dorset Council area. Grants were given to a cross section of topics including advice, ...

A man has been arrested in connection with a reported robbery at a pharmacy in Weymouth. Dorset Police received a report at 10.15am on Tuesday 24 December 2019 that a man had entered Wessex Pharmacies Ltd in Avenue Road in possession of a kitchen knife and demanded fentanyl patches. He is reported to have then entered a ...

Dorset Council has installed two ‘CoastSnap’ points at West Bay and is now asking people walking past to take pictures there. The CoastSnap points feature special smart phone cradles that point in a particular direction. This means images taken there can be used to monitor Dorset’s dynamic coastline. Cllr Ray Bryan, Dorset Council Portfolio Holder for Environment, ...

Officers investigating a burglary at a bike store in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. At around 9.45pm on Tuesday 31 December 2019 a door at Mud Sweat and Gears on Link Park was smashed. Entry was gained to the building and three electric bikes were stolen. The three stolen bikes ...

Customers are looking forward to what will be one of the best beer selections available ever at Dorchester Beerex this year, organised by West Dorset Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and Casterbridge Rotary. The popular festival sponsored by Palmers brewery of Bridport takes place in the Corn Exchange on Friday and Saturday of February 7th& ...

Not everybody sends Christmas greetings by email and the Dorchester & West Dorset Scouts have been heartened by the support given to them by members of the public in this, their 32nd year of the Scout Post scheme in Dorchester, the 7th in Bridport and the 3rd in Beaminster.  Although final numbers are still awaited ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service as part of the Fire Kills campaign is asking people to make sure they fit smoke alarms on every level of their home and to test them regularly. Many people see January as an opportunity for a fresh start, and fire safety should be top of the list. So, this ...

Don’t miss the deadline to apply for school places for September 2020. With only eight days left to sign up, there are still over 600 families who have yet to apply. Children born between 01 September 2015 and 31 August 2016 can start their school reception place in September 2020. For the best chance of getting ...

The Great Field at Poundbury was turned into a winter wonderland at the weekend, with almost 400 people taking part in Weldmar Hospicecare’s first ever Frosty 5k, which has raised an estimated £12,000. The event was originally due to take place in mid-December, but postponed due to high winds making it unsafe for inflatable structures around ...

At the start of the new year, many people take stock and consider making changes in their lives, including looking at a new career. Will 2020 be the right time for you to make a difference to a child’s life? Becoming a foster carer can be a rewarding career. There are many types of fostering including short-term, ...

A woman who died in a fatal collision on the Upton bypass near the Bakers Arms roundabout has been named by her devastated family as 28-year-old Chloe Lloyd.  Dorset Police was called at 8.50pm on Friday 3 January 2020 to reports of a single vehicle collision on the westbound carriageway of the A35 Upton Bypass, just ...

Dorset Council has submitted proposals for its 2020-21 budget in a report going to three Scrutiny Committees (People, Place and Resources) on 13 January. These proposals include: • Increase in funding for adult social care of £11.7m, taking the budget from £111.2m last year to £122.9m to meet the forecast demand for social care for older and ...

Some local flood warnings remain in force as follows, however previous alerts for the Cerne Valley, Upper Frome and Lower Frome and South Winterbourne Valley areas are no longer in force: Weymouth Rivers and Streams: River levels remain high but stable at the Broadwey river gauge as a result of saturated ground conditions. Consequently, the risk ...

Weldmar Hospicecare’s popular Christmas ‘Treecycle’ project is back, where anyone with a real Christmas tree can have it collected and disposed of by the charity in return for a donation. The traditional time to take down the Christmas tree is Twelfth Night, which falls this Sunday, 5th January. Now in its third year, collections have been expanded ...

Officers investigating an attempted robbery in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. It was reported that between 11.15 and 11.30pm on Sunday 29 December 2019 a woman aged in her 20s was cycling home from Weymouth town centre when three men approached her and attempted to steal her bicycle. She rode ...

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill has launched a consultation to ask the county’s residents for their views on paying a slight increase in their precept – the part of a council tax bill that funds local police – in order to deliver a prudent budget. The commissioner, along with members of his team and volunteers, will ...

Detectives investigating a reported assault in Dorchester are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. At around 4.10am on Wednesday 1 January 2020 an alleged altercation occurred involving two men and two women near to Hardy’s pub on Trinity Street. Some of the people involved were wearing fancy dress costumes. The victim – a ...

Officers investigating a distraction burglary in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information to come forward. At around 3.30pm on Saturday 28 December 2019 a man wearing a high-visibility jacket attended an address off Portwey Close purporting to be from the water board. He claimed he needed to check the water pressure. The elderly female ...

Dorset Police would like to advise members of the public that the technical difficulty with the 101 non-emergency telephone number has now been fixed. Engineers were looking into the fault, which was reported on Monday 30 December 2019, and worked closely with the service provider to resolve the issue as soon as possible. The emergency number 999 ...

Detectives investigating an indecent exposure incident near Dorchester are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. At around 7pm on Sunday 29 December 2019 Dorset Police received a report that a man had indecently exposed himself in the Meadow View area of Charminster. The victim, a woman aged in her 60s, heard a knock ...

Dorset Police’s Chief Constable and Police & Crime Commissioner are wishing Dorset communities a very Merry Christmas. Chief Constable James Vaughan said: “As 2019 draws to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. “As a force we have had another busy, but ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS), Dorset Police and other LRF partner agencies, are reminding residents about the dangers of flooding as the Met Office forecasts more rain for Dorset in the coming hours. With bad weather likely to continue over the coming hours and into the weekend, emergency services and local councils are ...

As the festive season begins, Dorset Council is pleased to inform residents of a brand-new partnership with The Salvation Army. Dorset residents can donate their unwanted clothing and shoes in one of the new clothing banks from The Salvation Army, located at various car parks around the county. Many of us are giving and receiving gifts this ...

On Thursday 12th December, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service held a presentation to celebrate the achievements of eleven young people completing the Prince’s Trust Team programme. The celebration event enabled the successful participants to present to family, friends and distinguished guests what they have achieved over the previous 12 weeks and their hopes for ...

Detectives investigating the rape of a 15-year-old girl in Dorchester are renewing their appeal, two weeks on from the offence. They are also able to confirm that they have obtained a DNA profile for the offender responsible for the rape, which occurred in a field at St Osmund’s School in Barnes Way shortly before 9.22pm on ...

Dorset is bracing itself for heavy rain over the next 4 days including tonight as the Met Office issue a yellow weather warning for rain. The MetOffice have said: “Several periods of heavy rain are from Wednesday afternoon until early Friday. 30 to 50 mm of rain is likely to accumulate quite widely during this time, ...

Only Santa knows what’s on Peppa Pig’s Christmas list this year, but she would surely want Mummy and Daddy Pig rescued from Wessex Water’s sewers after they were flushed down someone’s loo. Miniature toy versions of the iconic children’s favourites were found at the company’s water recycling centre in Weymouth, where staff have fished out other ...

Damers First School has been awarded Eco Schools Primary Eco School of the Year Award. Eco-Schools is an international programme of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that aims to “empower students to be the change our sustainable world needs by engaging them in fun, action-orientated and socially responsible learning”. Introduced in 1994 in response ...

A nine year old from Burton Bradstock has delivered an early Christmas gift to Weldmar Hospicecare patients and staff. Lily Tancock visited the Inpatient Unit in Dorchester with boxes of special gift bags that she’d put together, full of treats. Lily says, “I thought it would make everyone feel special at Christmas and make them real happy, ...

The number of people sleeping rough in Dorset has halved – thanks to work by Dorset Council and other agencies. Latest figures show that there are currently 18 people rough sleeping in the county, compared to 38 last year. In Weymouth and Portland the number of rough sleepers has fallen from 18 to six. Councillor Graham Carr-Jones, ...

Dorset Police & Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill is asking members of the public to pay the equivalent of an extra £1.25 per month to enable the Force to recruit 50 new officers. The proposed increase to the precept, the element of a monthly council tax bill that funds policing, will also allow for inflation and ...

Dorset Council is setting up a quarterly ‘Good Practice Award’ to celebrate the hard work of care and support professionals in the area and to highlight the opportunities of working in the sector. If you know of a care or support worker that goes that extra mile, we want to hear their story! We would like ...

Dorchester’s courthouse museum is offering reduced price entry for everyone in the DT postcode this January. Shire Hall Historic Courthouse Museum on High West Street is giving locals a special offer this January – simply show a letter or bill with a DT postcode on and get reduced price entry. All tickets also include an annual ...

Dorset Police have launched a campaign to help reduce demand on their contact centre during the festive season. Every Christmas and New Year, calls to 999 increase and whilst many are genuine emergencies, many are not. Already this year the force have seen an 14% increase in 999 calls compared to last year, and it ...

Patients at Weldmar Hospicecare’s Inpatient Unit in Dorchester have been treated to a festive visit from two miniature donkeys. Albert The Great and Snoopy were guided around and introduced to patients by their owners, the Hyde family who operate Trinity Street Christmas Trees. As well as spending time in the bays of the IPU, the three year ...

The Environment Agency has issued renewed groundwater flood warnings for the following areas: South Winterbourne Valley – Kingston Russell, Winterbourne Abbas, Winterbourne Steepleton, Martinstown or Winterbourne St Martin, Winterbourne Monkton, Winterbourne Herringston and Winterbourne Came. West of Dorset – Bridport, Chideock, Martinstown, Milborne St. Andrew, Nottington, Piddlehinton, Piddletrenthide, Upwey, Winterborne Abbas, Winterborne Kingston, Winterborne Steepleton, Winterborne Stickland, ...

Officers are appealing for information from the public following a fail-to-stop collision in Weymouth. At around 9pm on Tuesday 10 December 2019 Dorset Police was called to reports that a silver Ford Mondeo had collided with parked vehicles in Chickerell Road. It is reported the driver and occupants fled the scene. A number of vehicles were damaged ...

Detectives investigating a rape in Dorchester are renewing their appeal for anyone with information to come forward – with CCTV of the suspect being released and an appeal for local homeowners to check any footage. Dorset Police received a report at 9.57pm on Thursday 5 December 2019 that a 15-year-old girl had been raped in the ...

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, Cogden Beach, Chesil Beach, West Fleet, East Fleet and Chiswell. Be prepared. Due to high winds and a tidal surge, we believe there is a possibility of flooding for Lyme Regis, Charmouth, ...

Officers investigating a fatal road traffic collision near Weymouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with relevant dashcam footage to come forward. Dorset Police received a report at 5.38pm on Sunday 8 December 2019 of a collision on the B3157 Coast Road on Bramdon Lane between Chickerell and Portesham involving a black Triumph motorcycle and a ...

Dorset Council has confirmed that 2100 students from schools across Dorset are booked to attend the Big Bang @ Dorset Fair at The Tank Museum, Bovington, on Wednesday 18 March 2020. Big Bang is a programme of UK-wide events that get students excited about science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM subjects). Big Bang @ Dorset Fair 2019 ...

A Dorset charity is helping victims of childhood trauma recover and begin rebuilding their lives. The Ferndown-based Bus Stop Club charity, funded by organisations including the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Dorset, provides help through its SOS course, providing weekly group sessions and outings for members between January and July each year. Project ...