STAFF at fire-struck Lytchett Minster school are celebrating after beating off competition to win Arts College Status. Just months after being hit by a devastating arson attack, the school has achieved special ranking and a funding boost worth over £100,000
BRITAIN'S oldest person, 109-year-old Eva Pickles, has died in a New Forest rest home just a day after confirmation of her claim to be the country's most senior citizen. Shortly after celebrating her 109th birthday in June, Eva inherited the mantle of
LYMINGTON and New Milton will blood new signing Danny Holmes as they line-up against local rivals Poppies at Victoria Park in the Jewson Wessex League tomorrow. Holmes, signed this week from Poole Town, goes straight into the squad after impressing for
SEAN O'Driscoll is sweating on the fitness of captain Steve Fletcher ahead of Cherries' visit to Division Two rivals Wycombe Wander-ers tomorrow, reports Neil Perrett. Fletcher is likely to face a late fitness test before the Adams Park showdown after
DESPONDENT Cherries star Neil Young has admitted that he does not expect to play again this season after an operation on his injured left knee was cancelled on Monday. Young had initially expected to be out of action until Christmas after being told by
A NEW initiative has been launched to help people find work in Dorset. The scheme, launched by the Employment Service, will target people out of work and those who are not using the Jobcentre to find employment. It is feared that many people are missing
DEVOTED pet owner Mary Stanton has vowed to have her beloved pet Joe, a capuchin monkey, put down rather than lose him saying "he will die any way if he is taken away." Mrs Stanton, 73, of Harrison Street, Blackburn, broke down in tears after she lost
BRIGHT sparks in Weymouth are lighting up their family home with Christmas decorations to help send sick children to Disneyland Paris. The Lilley family, who live near Wey Valley School, raised £2,000 from the Dorchester Road illuminations last year.
A NEW initiative has been launched to help people find work in Dorset. The scheme, launched by the Employment Service, will target people out of work and those who are not using the Jobcentre to find employment. It is feared that many people are missing
HOPEFULS beat a path to Weymouth Police Station for the chance to join the resort's thin blue line. More than 30 people rolled up for the special constables' recruitment evening at the Dorchester Road station. Divisional Officer Trevor Lewis, Weymouth's
MAGICAL memories of receiving a Christmas present as a poverty-stricken youngster spurred businessman David Jones to back the Echo's Toy Appeal. The successful industrial property contractor - who today controls most of the Granby Industrial Estate -
ANOREXIC Anna Paterson has returned to Weymouth in a bid to lay the ghosts of her abusive past behind her. And the harrowing story of her life, and the love she has found with her fianc Simon Teff, will now be told as part of a Channel Four documentary
DEVOTED pet owner Mary Stanton has vowed to have her beloved pet Joe, a capuchin monkey, put down rather than lose him saying "he will die any way if he is taken away." Mrs Stanton, 73, of Harrison Street, Blackburn, broke down in tears after she lost
SPEED limits outside Bridport schools should be cut to 20mph, town councillors believe. And they are also pushing for a 30mph limit along Burton Road, where the new waste site is planned. Their views will be passed on to the county council which has produced
WESSEX Water has reported a 25 per cent fall in its half-year profits after the price review by regulator Ofwat. Pre-tax profit fell to £48.3 million for the six months to September 30 - turnover was down nine per cent to £128.6 million. Wessex says its
FIRSTGROUP and NS (Netherlands railways) have made an updated offer for the South West Trains franchise involving investment of £2 billion. The two companies have delivered a "best and final" offer for the franchise which is currently run by Stagecoach
THE PUBLIC have been urged to blow the whistle on drink-drivers in a bid to make the streets of Dorset safer. "Stop Them or Shop Them" is the theme of the Dorset Police Christmas and New Year drink-drive campaign which gets under way today. The hard-hitting
IF you think you're seeing quadruple, it's not the cherry brandy but a completely different sort of festive spirit. Cancer patient Colin Price has decided to brighten up the neighbourhood with a very special winter wonderland. Several blow-up Santas back
LITTLE Sister is nearing a dramatic conclusion as 2CR FM listeners prepare to make one lucky contestant £5,000 richer. As dawn broke today, just three inmates remained in a glasshouse at Tower Park - all desperately hoping to land a pre-Christmas jackpot
THE race to save the Winter Gardens is not just down to entrepreneur Richard Carr, a rival consortium claimed today. The Fairfield Consortium says as far as it is concerned it is still in talks with the council following a meeting with leisure chiefs
A JUDGE is to receive reports and background material on an Army sergeant who was yesterday convicted of indecently assaulting and tying up a woman. John Widdecombe, 35, was convicted on one charge of indecent assault and a charge of false imprisonment
NEW drug combination therapies for HIV are helping to slow the death rate from Aids in Dorset, figures released for World Aids Day have revealed. Between 1990 and 1994, there were 98 new cases of HIV infection in the county and 58 people died from Aids
CAMPAIGNERS have lost a two-year fight to bring Sir Walter Raleigh's statue back to his former home in Dorset. Culture Secretary Chris Smith has announced the monument will be moved to Greenwich to mark the Elizabethan explorer's naval connections. The
ALICE and Lucy Hargreaves had a busy summer, helping their grandfather pot and label the honey from his beehives. Eight-year-old Alice was allowed to dress up in her grandmother's protective clothing. "We had to stuff newspaper down her boots to keep
STUDENTS from Bournemouth University are clearing their student debts by winning thousands of pounds on gameshows. Sonja Stephen, 20, and David Iliffe, 22, both taking degree courses in Multimedia Journalism, appeared on television and at the same time
DESPONDENT Cherries star Neil Young has admitted that he does not expect to play again this season after an operation on his injured left knee was cancelled on Monday. Young had initially expected to be out of action until Christmas after being told by
BASHLEY face their sternest test of the season tomorrow as they welcome Rymans Premier League outfit St Albans City to the Recreation Ground in the FA Umbro Trophy second round (3pm kick-off). The Hertfordshire side have been in impressive form of late
The race for this winter's Wessex cycle-cross titles is still wide open in three of the five individual categories at stake, but Dorset Rough Riders, Thomas Budd and Branton Roud, look like emerging victorious in the youth and under-12 year old age groups
POLICE today urged people to 'stop or shop' boozy motorists before they kill someone on the county's roads. The hard-hitting message came as Dorset Police launched its Christmas and New Year drink-driving campaign. Officers will be manning a special hotline
PRISON officers were set to voice their fears over Portland's Young Offender Institution when the head of the country's prisons visited today. Martin Narey, director general of the prison service, was due to tour the controversial jail, meet inmates and
'OUT of this world' is how Girl from Mars singers Ash described a plate of fish and chips from a Weymouth shop. The young rock band who performed at a sell-out gig in the town raved about their meal in the Marlboro restaurant to Radio One DJ Steve Lamacq
HOPEFULS beat a path to Weymouth Police Station for the chance to join the resort's thin blue line. More than 30 people rolled up for the special constables' recruitment evening at the Dorchester Road station. Divisional Officer Trevor Lewis, Weymouth's
SPEED limits outside Bridport schools should be cut to 20mph, town councillors believe. And they are also pushing for a 30mph limit along Burton Road, where the new waste site is planned. Their views will be passed on to the county council which has produced
MAGICAL memories of receiving a Christmas present as a poverty-stricken youngster spurred businessman David Jones to back the Echo's Toy Appeal. The successful industrial property contractor - who today controls most of the Granby Industrial Estate -
ANOREXIC Anna Paterson has returned to Weymouth in a bid to lay the ghosts of her abusive past behind her. And the harrowing story of her life, and the love she has found with her fianc Simon Teff, will now be told as part of a Channel Four documentary
POLICE today urged people to 'stop or shop' boozy motorists before they kill someone on the county's roads. The hard-hitting message came as Dorset Police launched its Christmas and New Year drink-driving campaign. Officers will be manning a special hotline
PRISON officers were set to voice their fears over Portland's Young Offender Institution when the head of the country's prisons visited today. Martin Narey, director general of the prison service, was due to tour the controversial jail, meet inmates and
'OUT of this world' is how Girl from Mars singers Ash described a plate of fish and chips from a Weymouth shop. The young rock band who performed at a sell-out gig in the town raved about their meal in the Marlboro restaurant to Radio One DJ Steve Lamacq
SPEED limits outside Bridport schools should be cut to 20mph, town councillors believe. And they are also pushing for a 30mph limit along Burton Road, where the new waste site is planned. Their views will be passed on to the county council which has produced
BRIGHT sparks in Weymouth are lighting up their family home with Christmas decorations to help send sick children to Disneyland Paris. The Lilley family, who live near Wey Valley School, raised £2,000 from the Dorchester Road illuminations last year.
IN THE dense Hatherton Forest near Wareham, 130 riders from the southern region contested the final round of the Southern Centre Enduro championship. The tortuous all-road track coursewas deliberately set to be tough and succeeded as, after a week of
A £200-million outsourcing contract affecting 200 staff at Liverpool Victoria comes into effect today. Under a 10-year agreement, the friendly society based at the Frizzell roundabout is outsourcing its entire IT function to EDS. Two hundred Liverpool
