NAKED dancing girls could be another attraction in Bournemouth's increasingly risqu nightlife if lap-dancing clubs get their way. Jezebelles in Yelverton Road wants the council to scrap a rule preventing performers from dancing nude at its town centre
IT WAS a long wait for results, but students in Bournemouth and Poole have smashed GCSE records in many schools. Exam heroes were also made yesterday, with individual teenagers coming in the top five nationally in some subjects. At Talbot Heath, Portchester
There have been reported sightings of a rare species on the streets of Winton recently, a breed that most believed had died out some time ago. Photographic evidence has not been available until now, but this uncommon animal - scientific name "cycling
Shoppers in Bournemouth can now see the full scale of the town's new central library. Builders on the project, at the Triangle, are close to the topping-out stage. The building, which will also house shops and cafes, should be open in spring 2002.
TWO teenage troublemakers will be electronically tagged and given a curfew for their part in a violent attack on students. The two boys, 17 and 15, have a string of previous anti-social behaviour offences. They must now be at home between 8pm and 6am
NATIONAL Trust chiefs are drawing up a management plan covering the future of the Langton Matravers area of Purbeck. The trust has met with more than 50 representatives from local authorities, town and parish councils and environmental and business organisations
LYMINGTON 2nds don't appear over concerned if they fail to win their final match tomorrow and lose their Southern Electric Premier League Division Three status in the process. One place and only three points separates Lymington from fellow strugglers
THEY were the reason we learnt to cut our food into small pieces and strategically mould it into the smallest pile possible on the side of our plastic plates. The explanation as to why we spent all of our pocket money buying sweets, crisps and cakes at
A LOCAL rugby club has received a grant award to open a junior section. Oakmeadians Rugby Club has been awarded £5,000 from the regional Lottery Grants to purchase equipment and cover associated expenses. The club, despite its success as a premier club
BEAMINSTER play their final home match of the season tomorrow when Wimborne Seconds are the visitors for an NSA Division One fixture. For their players it will be the last chance this summer of a rare outing at the Memorial Playing Field. Rain has restricted
IN DAYS gone by, a national rugby cup competition in mid August was beyond comprehension. But that is just what is on the menu for Dorchester and Swanage and Wareham tomorrow. Dorset's two senior clubs are up against virtually unknown opposition who both
DORCHESTER Football Club are set to get a boost from their most dedicated followers. It follows an influx of fresh blood in the Magpies Supporters Club and the launch this week of a brand new fans group pledging to raise cash for the football club and
DRIZZLE and mist welcomed players on day four of the Weymouth and Portland Open Bowls Championships yesterday. The Melcombe greens provided the venue for a series of close men's singles matches that kept the many spectators on the edge of their seats.
The best of the clubbing scene Smooth sounds Bournemouth's very own Cartel Records gets its cool and sophisticated Smooth nights out on the road on Sunday night with a very special club night featuring the cream of the new label. A three-room spectacular
DORSET'S summer blitz on drink-drivers seems to be working, police said today. There has only been one arrest but crashes where alcohol is believed to have been involved have risen sharply by 20 per cent. Organisers of the month-long campaign, which aims
DORSET Police are aiming to deter yobs bent on causing trouble in Weymouth town centre with a major CCTV awareness campaign. The force has produced a video showing the effectiveness of the new CCTV camera system. The eight-minute film is being sent to
DIGNITARIES cut a ribbon to officially open Dorchester's new covered market in front of scores of shoppers in Weymouth Avenue. John George from operators Ensors and Tony Frost from West Dorset District Council performed the honours at the £200,000 structure
TWO of the New Forest's ageing community hospitals are to receive a face-lift thanks to a six-figure cash boost from the Government. It has been announced on that the Lymington Infirmary and the Fenwick Hospital in Lyndhurst are to receive £100,000 each
THE brakes have been put on one of the New Forest's biggest annual charity events. Deflated organisers of the Barnardo's New Forest Bike Ride have been forced to cancel the event for the second time this year. Originally scheduled to take place in May
Who's treading the boards this week: Familiar faces in comedy thriller VETERAN funnyman Roy Hudd leads the cast of comedy crime thriller Theft at the Pier Theatre in Bournemouth. The show features former EastEnders star Leslie Grantham, Stephanie Turner
NOBODY could accuse the churches at Marshwood or Whitchurch Canonicorum of not moving with the times and showing a spirit of innovation. According to the rector, the Rev Robin Fairbrother, the most exciting development is at the grade II listed Marshwood
IPSWICH WITCHES 46 - POOLE PIRATES 44 POOLE team manager Neil Middleditch said that it will now take a minor miracle for the Pirates to pip Oxford for the Sky Sports Elite League championship. After his side had lost a last heat decider at Ipswich - and
POLICE are hunting a thief who mugged a pensioner as she walked home from visiting her late husband's grave. The 75-year-old Highcliffe widow was robbed in broad daylight after leaving Hinton Wood graveyard yesterday afternoon. She was making her way
Movies showing in the Bournmeouth area this week A Knight's Tale (PG) Heath Ledger, Mark Addy, Rufus Sewell *** Old-fashioned, but fun story about a medieval squire who tries his hand at jousting. UCI, Odeon (previews Sat-Mon only) Breakfast At Tiffany's
POOLE Council has been accused of getting its priorities wrong and allowing basic services to break down. Cllr Brian Leverett, deputy leader of the Conservative group hit out after last Wednesday's Echo story about the breakdown of seven of the council's
DORCHESTER'S match-starved cricketers will be keeping their fingers crossed that the weather is kind to them tomorrow after completing only one game so far this month. They are due to play host to Broadstone at Dorchester Rec and county town vice-captain
CHERRIES fans who go to Cardiff are invited to email us their views of how they felt the game went for inclusion in our 'Fans' Corner - Have Your Say' in Monday's paper. Your views should be no longer than 40 words maximum and you must put your name,
A DORSET woman who breeds show horses is facing eviction for living illegally in the green belt. Gill Hughes, who has 12 mares and foals on her land at Holt, has been told to quit the site by East Dorset District Council because she has been living in
STUDENTS were celebrating across Dorset today after scooping record GCSE results. At Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester, Alexandra Joy and Hugh Warrington gained 11 A* grades and in Weymouth, Jack Turner from Wey Valley School notched up eight A*s and
STAFF at Abbotsbury Swannery have been reunited with a former possession - a 104-year-old egg. The antique egg was laid by a swan at Abbotsbury and given away to a visitor by the swanherd of the day. Dave Wheeler, Abbotsbury's current manager said he
IF you're the mother of that nice Dr Mike Barrett from Casualty and Holby City, you might think you'd try to stay out of the A & E department yourself. And Clive Mantle's mum's story of her nasty accident would make a dramatic and heartwarming storyline
BRITAIN'S rising tide of fraud in Britain now equates to £560 for every household in Dorset and Hampshire. Fraud now costs the UK £13.8 million a year, fuelled by organised crime and a lack of joined-up government, warns the independent Fraud Advisory
IFA and investment consultant Alexander Price of Wimborne has merged with Hampshire-based Danamere Financial Services. The integrated company will trade as Alexander Price, predominantly from its offices in Wimborne and Havant plus a number of satellite
FOR a flavour of a real old-time country fair, Purbeck is the place to head this weekend. The 12th annual Studland Country Fair is set to attract thousands of visitors today and tomorrow, with a line-up of fun-packed entertainment for the whole family
A MAJOR security alert was sounded yesterday after fishermen in Poole harbour netted part of a World War Two bomb. The device had become trapped in the nets of two local men fishing the waters near Green Island in Poole Harbour from their boat The Seagal
CONTAMINATED fuel delayed by four hours the attempt to break the Round Britain Powerboat record in a Poole built Sunseeker. Drivers Ian Sanderson from Lymington and Peter Dredge came to a stop at 8am yesterday, just four hours after leaving Poole at the
Poole's Taste 2001 food festival will take place from September 7-16. For 10 days the town's 29 top restaurants will be showcasing the talents of their chefs. As well as a spectacular show of gourmet delights, the Prowting Homes West-sponsored event promises
"STICK with the leaders" is often good advice in road races but Matt Bottrill took it a little too literally in the Tour of Cranborne Chase on Sunday. The Bournemouth Jubilee Wheeler went with the decisive break which formed when he and four others rode
BOURNEMOUTH southpaw Steve Bendall made short work of Bert Bado by knocking out the Filipino in the first round in South Africa. The 28-year-old former England amateur international flew a quarter way round the world to meet the ex-Philippines champion
Portland Red Triangle go into the final two games of the season with their fate in their own hands. Victories in the home matches against Blandford tomorrow and West Moors next weekend will certainly give them the NSA Division One title, while a win in
A DORSET couple are bucking the national trend of respite homes closing by opening up a care scheme in their home. Pat and David Farmer of Oaklands Close in Verwood have spent six months converting their garage into an en-suite bedroom with access to
Bands playing live this weekend A right, good Con TIME for a fresh new band to hit the local music scene. Well, when I say fresh and new what I mean is worn and weathered. You will definitely recognise Con 23 as the lads around town. Their new band supposedly
POLICE launched a major offensive against heroin dealers across Weymouth and Portland with a series of early morning raids today. Officers said the arrests, which were part of a three-day operation, were cracking the heroin ring in the resort after they
AWARD-winning Echo chief photographer Jim Tampin said he was positive about packing in the negatives when he retired from the Echo after 12 years' service. The former president of the British Institute of Professional Photography has enjoyed an impressive
IT made the Bee Gees megastars and it became part of THE soundtrack of the seventies. Saturday Night Fever also established the film career of John Travolta who starred in the classic 1978 movie as Tony Mareno, an alienated Italian-American New Yorker
A BIT of Japan comes to Shaftesbury on bank holiday Monday with nearly a fortnight of festivities at the Haracombe Zen Centre in Horsehill Lane. Workshops on Japanese calligraphy, cookery and more are on offer. For more details call Paul Taylor on 01747
THE Moto Guzzi V-Twin Rally roars into Shaftesbury this weekend. The event, which features a cavalcade of Italian motorcycles and displays, kicks off today and continues through to bank holiday Monday.
POOLE'S Marcus Dodd has taken a step closer to retaining his ANCRO National Rally title by taking victory on the Vauxhall Astra Stages in North Wales tomorrow. His 46 seconds win over the ex-works Hyundai Accent of Pete Littler was Dodd's second of the
TWENTY-five years is too long to wait for anything but last Sunday in Gaildorf, Germany, Britain's Jammie Dobb broke both the time and pain barrier to secure our first ever 125cc GP win. His domination this year has been such that still with three races
