News Archive

In the local Dorset Cricket Leagues Dorchester beat Poole at home by 13 runs, Weymouth were beaten at Redlands by Marnhull by 32 runs, Bere Regis won at Sherborne by 9 runs, Martinstown won at home against Christchurch by 3 wickets, Portland Red Triangle lost at Reforne to Stalbridge by 4 wickets and Abbotsbury overcame ...

Despite reported traffic problems causing long delays on the A35 the Dorset Hot Air Balloon Festival held at the Dorset County Showground on 4th May appears to have been a success, according to our reporter Idris Martin. However, there were various more complaints from the public including lack of marshals and toilet facilities and Idris spoke ...

David Sidwick has been confirmed as the Police and Crime Commissioner for Dorset. The declaration was made today (Saturday May 4) by Graham Farrant, Police Area Returning Officer, following Police and Crime Commissioner elections on May 2. David Sidwick will take up office as Police and Crime Commissioner on Thursday May 9. Dorset Police Chief Constable Amanda Pearson ...

Dorset residents went to the polls on 2 May to elect 82 representatives to Dorset Council.  Local town and parish council, and Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner elections were also held on the same day. Votes for Dorset Council were counted on Friday 3 May at Redlands Community Sports Hub, Weymouth. Votes for the town and ...

A man who sexually assaulted a young girl on Portland has been jailed. Stephen Lewis, aged 72 and of Weymouth, was found guilty at Bournemouth Crown Court on Thursday 18 April 2024 of sexual assault of a child under 13, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and two counts of assaulting a ...

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is holding its annual Coast to Coast Cycle Challenge on Saturday 18th May 2024 and is encouraging those who wish to take part, to sign up before online registration closes at midnight on Sunday 12th May. The ever-popular event has two routes available to choose from; a 55-mile route which starts ...

Our reporter Idris Martin advises that a major gas leak near the Royal Sailing Academy on Hamm Beach Road off Portland Causeway Road (note the main A354 to Portland is unaffected). The emergency services have closed the access road to the Sailing Academy for up to 24 hours until a repair to the damage has been ...

Dorchester singer/songwriter Nick Capaldi has just released a new single called ‘Lovely People’ which he is hoping will raise funds and awareness to local children’s charity, Julia’s House Hospice. Nick explains, ” One of my favourite charities is Julia’s House Children’s Hospice here in Dorset. I played the song to them, and they loved it. All ...

Dorset Police received several reports of suspected courier fraud between 23 April and 30 April 2024. Courier fraud typically sees a victim receive an unexpected call from someone claiming to be a police officer or bank. The caller may be able to confirm some basic details about the victim such as their full name and address. Callers ...

Following the success of the first round of Dorset Council’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) grants, are open. Dorset Council received a total of 64 applications in the previous round, including a number of Dorchester Chamber for Business members.  One success story was Minuteman Press in Poundbury read the story here. A ...

Dorchester failed to end their season on a high losing at home by 4 goals to nil against Southern Premier League runners up AFC Totton. However, finishing in 9th place in the league table it was the Magpies best league finish for 11 years. Bridport moved in to second place in the Southwest Peninsular League East following their ...

Officers investigating a burglary at a church on Portland are issuing images of stolen items and appealing for information. Dorset Police received a report at around 7.30pm on Sunday 14 April 2024 that a break-in had occurred at St Peter’s Church in Grove Road and various brass items had been stolen. These included two plaques, candlesticks ...

Former Christian Aid staff member Rob Pearce will be the speaker at the annual Christian Aid Week ecumenical service, which takes place on Sunday 12 May at St Mary’s Church, Dorchester at 4pm. Rob, who lives in Wimborne, worked for Christian Aid for 32 years including a stint as regional director in the Southwest, before leaving ...

Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch, visited west Dorset on Wednesday 24th April to meet with small business owners across the constituency and members of the Dorchester Chamber of Business. The Q&A session was hosted by Chris Loder MP at Kingston Maurward College, with discussions on topics including the Civil ...

Campaigners against a proposal to build 4,000 homes on farmland north of Dorchester are warning developers not to anger the Dorset Ooser – the traditional guardian of the countryside. A replica of the scary Ooser mask will be paraded through Dorchester town centre next Saturday, April 27th. A spokesperson for STAND (Save the Area North of Dorchester) ...

For a chance to meet your local newly elected Dorchester Town Councillors and hear more about the work of the Dorchester Town Council over the previous year, do pop along to their Informal Annual Town Meeting on Thursday 16 May between 11am-1pm at the Corn Exchange, DT1 1HF. Take the opportunity to see how your ...

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has launched its latest fundraising initiative, ‘Brew for the Crew.’ Brew for the Crew is a self-led, fun, corporate and community fundraising activity which anyone can get involved with. It’s an opportunity to get friends, family, colleagues, or even the wider community together for a catchup, a good old cup of ...

Dorset charity Weldmar Hospicecare has set itself an ambitious target of reaching £250,000 during a thirty hour long fundraising marathon, which sees donations made by the public doubled. Weldmar provide specialist care in Dorset for adults with range of life limiting illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and Motor Neurone Disease, but spiralling costs and increased ...

Dorset County Hospital Charity has announced its delight that Kate Adie CBE DL as Appeal Patron for the charity’s £2.5M Emergency and Critical Care Appeal. The charity’s Appeal will fund major enhancements to the new Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit currently under construction at Dorset County Hospital. This will include overnight accommodation for relatives of ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward as they investigate a robbery in Weymouth. At around 8.30am on Wednesday 10 April 2024, the victim – a local man in his 20s – was pinned against a wall by a man in New Street and his wallet and bankcard was taken. It is ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is reminding people to take care when charging lithium-ion batteries. The Service was called to two incidents over the weekend involving e-bike batteries; one fire was extinguished by the owner before firefighters arrived on scene, but the other caused significant damage to a house. Station Manager Dave Geddes said: “There ...

Round 7 of Dorset Council’s Community & Culture Project Fund has opened for new applications. Not-for-profit groups meeting eligibility and funding criteria can apply for a grant of up to £5,000. Dorset Council will fund up to 80% of applicants’ total project costs, with the expectation that those applying demonstrate how the remaining 20% will be covered ...

In the Dorset versus Hampshire trilogy of matches where 3 of our top non league teams ran out against Hampshire opposition it was the Hampshire clubs who took the honours winning all 3 games. Mark Molesley has failed to tally up a victory since re-joining Weymouth for a second spell as manager last month. In their final game of ...

Detectives investigating an alleged robbery in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. It is reported that at around 1.55pm on Thursday 18 April 2024 a man was located with injuries following an assault by two men in Crescent Street. The men allegedly stole the victim’s wallet during the incident. The victim – ...

Dorset Council are always on the lookout for suitable foster parents, which can be a very rewarding experience as the following story reveals. Nikki, age 51 from East Dorset, has fostered with Dorset Council for five years. During this time, she has been a long-term foster carer to two sisters. They arrived with her at age ...

With local elections just around the corner, voters are reminded that they will need to show an approved form of photo ID when they go to the polling stations on 2 May to elect councillors for Dorset Council as well as Town and Parish Councils. Applications must be submitted by Wednesday, 24 April (5pm) to be ...

Transition Town Dorchester (TTD) are delighted to welcome Dorset Mind to take up a dedicated space at their Community Farm in Poundbury to deliver their Eco in Mind ecotherapy support and activities for local people that want to improve their wellbeing. “Dorset Mind is an eagerly anticipated partner for the TTD Community Farm, where we encourage ...

Weymouth manager Mark Molesley won his first National League South point at Park View Road since returning to take over at the helm of the Terras from the outgoing Bobby Wilkinson in a goalless draw against Welling. Striker Brandon Goodship went close to breaking the deadlock twice, but in the end Molesley and his young chargers ...

A new weekly Health Walk is set to start this month at Thorncombe Wood Local Nature Reserve near Dorchester. This free, guided walk is part of the Dorset Health Walks initiative, and is designed for people who would like to get more active in a sociable setting. Key details: Launch Date: Friday 19th April Time: 10 to 11 ...

Drivers in Dorset are reminded of the precautions to take on the county’s roads where deer may be present. With between 42,000 and 74,000 deer-related collisions in the UK every year, Dorset Council is sharing advice from the British Deer Society on how to be deer aware and keep safe. Deer can be encountered in the county ...

Police officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage to come forward following a serious injury collision near Dorchester. Dorset Police received a report at 6.35pm on Wednesday 10 April 2024 of a collision on the A35 near Winterbourne Abbas involving an Isuzu Tipper lorry and a DAF rigid tanker lorry. Emergency services attended and ...

On Thursday 13th April National Highways advised that the A35 in both directions near Winterborne Abbas was closed following a crash involving two lorries the previous evening. A man was been taken to hospital with serious injuries and the road had to be closed due to a large spillage of diesel fuel requiring emergency resurfacing to ...

As part of this year’s festivities, the Dorchester Walking Festival is introducing an exciting 50km Challenge to celebrate 50 years of the Dorchester Town Council. Participants are invited to join this cumulative challenge, with all proceeds from the Challenge Walks supporting Dorset County Hospital Charity’s Emergency and Critical Care Appeal. To complete the 50km Challenge, participants ...

Dorset Wildlife Trust has been awarded government funding for a project to create and revitalise over 500 hectares of habitats including woodlands and ponds across 18 sites in Dorset. The Species Survival Fund is aimed at helping to halt and reverse the decline in species abundance by preserving vital habitats and creating nature-rich landscapes. Dorset ...

The 34th Great Dorset Beach Clean was a resounding success, with over 200 dedicated volunteers coming together to clean up eight beaches across Dorset. Despite challenging windy conditions, participants worked tirelessly to clear marine litter, much of which was brought in by recent storms. Common items found during the cleanup included fishing gear, hard plastics, and ...

Officers investigating a report of an assault in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses and urging the victim to come forward. Dorset Police received a report from a member of the public who witnessed an assault between 3.50pm and 4pm on Saturday 6 April 2024 on Franklin Road. It was reported that a woman was dragged into an ...

Dorset Council’s Trading Standards team led a multiagency operation on Tuesday 26 March 2024 responding to intelligence about the sale of illegal vapes, tobacco, and cigarettes from several premises in Weymouth. Alongside officers from Dorset Police, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the Regional Trading Standards Illegal Tobacco & Vapes officer, and B.W.Y Canine Ltd with their ...

Police officers continuing to investigate an assault on a teenage boy in Dorchester are appealing for two witnesses who came to the aid of the victim to come forward. It was reported that between around 7pm and 10pm on Monday 12 February 2024 a teenage boy was assaulted by another boy, who was known to him, ...

Mark Molesley’s opening game in his second tenure at Weymouth Football Club ended in defeat at Priory Lane against relegation threatened Eastbourne Borough. The Sports’ Matt Green was the only player to activate the scoreboard in the 10th minute of the game and from then until the final whistle neither sides goalkeeper had ignominy of picking the ...

Following the tragic death of a man at a motocross event near Dorchester officers are appealing for anyone with footage to come forward. At 10.43am on Saturday 6 April 2024 Dorset Police received a report of an incident at Higher Ashton Farm off the B3159 Goulds Hill, Martinstown. At a motocross event a rider was found ...

Although Storm Kathleen has had a greater effect in other parts of the country, not so much in Dorset, she has caused all sorts of debris to be washed up at West Bay and all the wet weather of late has caused even more cliff falls. The photos below were snapped by our reporter Idris Martin ...

Southwest Peninsular League East club Bridport put out an appeal to their most loyal supporters to pitch up at their St. Mary’s Stadium at 9:30 am on Saturday morning to ensure that the Bees’ home match against Sidmouth Town can go ahead. Club chairman Adrian Scadding said: “So far this season we have lost 18 games to ...

Time to apply for free voter ID ahead of the May elections is running out. Anyone who doesn’t already have an accepted form of ID will need to apply before the deadline at 5pm on 24 April. For the first time, voters in Dorset will need to show photo ID to receive their ballot paper at ...

Young people from across Dorset were given a chance to debate topics close to their hearts at an event organised by the outgoing Member of Youth Parliament, Stanley Bowden. All the schools in Dorset were invited, and around 50 young people turned up to engage in a series of debates on issues affecting their lives ...

The Easter Monday derby between Weymouth and Yeovil Town had to be abandoned due to a medical emergency involving a spectator. It had been thought that the game could continue but, with the arrival of the Air Ambulance which landed on the pitch, the club announced that the game was abandoned. Weymouth were 1-0 up at ...

Weymouth Football Club’s new gaffer Mark Molesley was paraded in front of the home fans before the derby against arch rivals Yeovil Town, although the match later had to be abandoned due to a medical emergency. For the second time of asking Mark Molesley takes over the helm at the Bob Lucas Stadium. Molesley will renew his ...

Congratulations go to our local south Dorset women rugby players who have been selected for this season’s Twin Counties RFU Gill Burns County Championship Women’s squad. Weymouth & Portland have one representative Malindi Berry, Swanage & Wareham four, Alexandre Patten, Ella Forrest, Hermione Quaddy and Lauren Graham with three from Oakmeadians, Carys Gallagher, Gracie Ostey and ...

Anthony Woodhouse became Dorset’s next High Sheriff at a ceremony held at the Tank Museum on Sunday 25th March 2024. The office is an independent and non-political position appointed by the monarchy for a single-year term. The High Sheriff is the King’s representative in the county in respect of law and order. Established before the Norman conquest ...

Collision hot spot signs are being placed in areas around Dorset this Spring, to help reduce the number of motorcycle collisions in the county. The road signs have been designed by over 2,400 members of the motorcycling community and have been produced by DocBike and Dorset Council, with support from Dorset Police, BCP Council, Dorset & ...

Detectives are appealing for anyone with information to come forward as they investigate the death of a man in Weymouth. Dorset Police received a report at 12.25pm on Monday 25 March 2024 of a man requiring medical attention in Brunswick Terrace. Officers attended, along with the ambulance service, and very sadly the man was pronounced dead at ...

Dorset Climate Action Network (Dorset CAN), a charity instigating measures to address the climate and ecological crisis, has recently welcomed funding for the Great Big Dorset Hedge project from Dorset CPRE, the local branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (The Countryside Charity). Dorset CPRE has recognised that the Great Big Dorset Hedge (GBDH) project ...

In the National League South Weymouth came good against visitors Havant & Waterlooville in the final quarter of the game after taking an early lead from Tom Bearwish. After the break the Terras went off the boil and conceded a Havant & Waterlooville equalizer, but following manager Bobby Wilkinson’s substitutions they raised their game scoring 3 ...

Detectives are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward following an alleged assault in Dorchester. At around 10.50am on Sunday 24 March 2024, officers received a report that a woman had been assaulted earlier in the morning at an address in Damers Road. The victim – aged in her 40s from the Dorchester area ...

All 82 councillor seats for Dorset Council are up for election on May 2nd this year – required are people with the background and experience that reflects their community to put themselves forward. As a councillor you will play a vital role in shaping local services and make a huge difference to the quality of life ...

On Wednesday 13 March, Dorset Council’s newly elected members of Youth Parliament were announced at a ceremony held at County Hall. Huge congratulations were given to Tom Clifton and Tamzin Caves who have been chosen by young people in Dorset to represent them. Tom will act as the lead representative for Dorset at Youth Parliament and Tamzin ...

Officers are appealing for witnesses to come forward following an assault on a teenage boy in Weymouth. At around 10pm on Friday 8 March 2024 the victim, aged 15, was near to the junction with Queen Street and Hardwick Street when he saw two men. Following a brief verbal exchange, one of the men punched the ...

Dorset Police officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward following two reports of criminal damage in Weymouth. The first incident occurred at around 5.30pm on Wednesday 13 March 2024 in Rylands Lane. It is reported that the occupant of an address heard a loud noise and discovered a small hole in ...

Dorset Police are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward as they investigate a road traffic collision in Weymouth. At around 4am on Saturday 16 March 2024 a single vehicle collision occurred on Portland Road in Wyke Regis. It was reported that the vehicle involved, a grey BMW, left the carriageway and collided ...

Weymouth held out against promotion chasing Braintree Town at the Bob Lucas Stadium until the 76th minute of the game then conceded a headed goal scored by the Iron skipper Baris Altintop. To make the final score Weymouth 0 Braintree 1. In the Southern Premier League Dorchester overturned 2 goals to 1 half time deficit at Beaconsfield to run out ...

Over 100 people came to an open event which was held this week for patients of Dorchester Road Surgery, Royal Crescent and Preston Road Practices in Weymouth. Held at Weymouth Rugby Club on Tuesday evening, patients were invited to find out more about the upcoming merger. Staff from the practices, patient participation group representatives and NHS ...