ANOTHER nail in the coffin - that's the view of a council leader over the opening of a third strip club in Bournemouth in a part of the town already dubbed the local red light district. East Cliff and Springbourne ward councillor David Clutterbuck says
PLANS announced yesterday (November 18) to crackdown on classroom violence have received a mixed reception. Head teachers broadly welcomed the measures outlined by Education and Skills Secretary Charles Clarke to improve pupil behaviour. But Poole's councillor
TONY Blair and his government may be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War on politically expedient July 10 next year. But in Bournemouth, the occasion will be marked on August 14 with a civic ceremony one day before its
THE video screen flickers into life, focusing on a pair of hands as they slip a card into the slot. The hands move away, revealing the keypad of the cash machine, and, at the edge of the screen, the sun-lit brick surface of Poole High Street. A few moments
Grab your popcorn and your super-sized drink, here's the lowdown of the releases you can see in the cinema this week. After the Sunset (12A) UCI, Odeon ** See review. Alfie (15) Lighthouse * Desperately poor remake finds Jude Law smoothing out all the
AMERICAN filmmakers continue to plunder the rich pickings of Europe and Asia for potential remakes. Taxi is a case in point. Luc Besson's 1998 smash hit, which became the largest grossing film in the history of French cinema, has been souped up into a
GETTING the bullet after four outings as Bond must have been a sickener for Pierce Brosnan. Still, if the compensation is that he gets to make slick films in exotic Caribbean locations with Salma Hayek and Woody Harrelson, it can't be all bad. Max (Brosnan
ALL'S fair in love, war and politics. As American presidential elections throughout the years have proved, scandal and muckraking can sway the allegiances of fickle voters. And a candidate's service record on the battlefield has always been a badge of
Eh, bah gum, it's grim up North (And South), i'nt it? Why, there were nowt but black soot, chuffing chimneys and galloping consumption in Monday night's latest corset caper from BBC1, an adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskill's 19th century novel North And South
SON of an Italian immigrant, Dean Martin was one of America's all-time greats, revered for his musical and screen achievements and considered the epitome of cool. Here, daughter Deana talks candidly of the man she admits "wasn't a good father, but he
A STUDENT falls ills with AIDS and to pass the time his friend suggests they write a story together marked by the events, one a year, of the twentieth century. The horrible progression of the disease is matched by the atrocities of history. A tourist
EVEN in these days of apparent abundance for all there are families facing the prospect of a bleak Christmas. But dedicated volunteers are already working to ensure children who would otherwise face a Christmas Day without presents, or struggling parents
YOUNG Megan Hillman, who has a condition in her joints, will be able to continue playing the instrument she loves thanks to two kind donors. Help has arrived for the 14-year-old after The Daily Echo reported she was likely to have to give up playing the
SWANAGE and Wareham prop Richard Williams moves to hooker tomorrow for their mouth-watering local derby home clash against Wimborne at Bestwall (November 20 2.30pm). Karl Randle goes into the Swans' front row at tight head for a South West Division Two
A POLICEMAN'S widow whose husband was killed in a car crash on the flooded Dorchester by- pass has been awarded £225,000 in agreed damages for his death. Susan Toomer, of Manor Pound, Bere Regis, settled her claim against the Department of the Environment
A PUB landlady's son has been jailed for eight weeks and barred from all licensed premises in Bridport - except the one run by his mother. Thomas Andrew Greig, 31, of St Mary's Place, Bridport, was sent to prison after he admitted assaulting Jason Wright
BRIDPORT manager Bob Russell has quit as boss of the Screwfix Direct Premier Division team. The former Yeovil Town defender said he is leaving St Mary's Field due to increased work commitments. Russell, who was appointed Bees boss a year ago following
A WIDOWER is searching for former shipmates after his wife died from asbestos-related cancer - which she may have caught while washing his clothes. David Parker, 63, is planning to sue over the death of his 68-year-old wife Sylvia last year from mesothelioma
A BIG-HEARTED uncle tackled the Big Apple in aid of the allergy charity that gave his niece hope. Disabled Christopher Hayman, 44, of Chesil View, Wyke Regis, Weymouth, ran the New York marathon and raised about £700 for the Anaphylaxis Campaign. The
HISTORIC buildings and shelters on Weymouth seafront may be in line for a £565,000 facelift. The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has pledged the cash towards improving listed buildings on the Esplanade and in the Park District subject to a bid from the council
THE anti-cycling brigade has moved up a gear in its opposition to New Forest cycle routes. In October the Forestry Commission's Deputy Surveyor of the New Forest, Mike Seddon, asked the Court of Verderers to consider a three-year permission for a list
LYME Regis Town Council isn't getting enough information from district council engineers about forthcoming stabili sation works it says. Councillors at last Wednesday's full council meeting agreed that they wanted more communication from the district
THE Brown Owl who ran Charmouth's Brownies for 18 years has made a desperate, final call for a new leader to come for ward and save the pack from closure. Anthea Thomas, 57, has been looking for someone to take over the reins since she stepped down from
THE owners of a Charmouth holiday park have had their appeal to devel op the site with timber lodges dis missed. Mr and Mrs J Ireland, who own Newland's Holiday Park, were told by planning inspectors to forget their plans, because of the harm it would
LYME Regis publicans have labelled a proposed nationwide smoking ban a drag, and warned their businesses could go up in smoke if it is passed. The News spoke to pub landlords in Lyme Regis and Charmouth this week, most of whom said the Government's proposals
A DORSET police officer was injured in a crash that claimed the life of an elderly man on the B3347 at Avon on the morning of November 18. The dead man, who has yet to be named but is thought to be from the Ringwood or Fordingbridge areas, was travelling
UNLESS I do something about it pretty quickly, I am going to become the recipient of "two engrossing novels" by Catherine Cookson and Dick Francis. And since neither of these authors has featured very prominently in my reading list so far in life, the
ALAN Connell has vowed to "grab the chance with both hands" as he prepares to step in for the injured James Hayter. Hayter, who is the club's top scorer with 14 goals this season, was stretchered off with a knee injury in the 1-1 FA Cup first round tie
CHRISTMAS decorations in Lyme Regis will this year be bigger and brighter than ever before, with the town puttting on its most extravagant display yet. A giant Christmas tree at the foot of Broad Street (known locally as the Shambles) will be the focal
A CHILD gets up and walks out of the class, gets angry for little reason or will not shut up. The teacher has to make a decision - leave the rest of the pupils or deal with that one child. Many teachers face such situations and find they spend as much
SURVEILLANCE cam eras are to be installed outside Bridport Town Council's Mountfield headquarters in a bid to halt increasing van dalism. Mayor Geoff Ackerman told members of the finance committee on Wednesday that the growing level of criminal damage
MEASURES to curb antisocial behaviour are being stepped up in East Dorset, including the proposed closure of a car park at night and planned patrols to monitor problem areas. Reports of antisocial behaviour in the Potters Wheel car park in Verwood have
A GROUNDBREAKING low-cost housing scheme for Poundbury has been rejected by planners because it was on the wrong side of a council-drawn line. A range of affordable homes had been put forward for a site near on Peverell Avenue East on Prince Charles's
POLICE yesterday said they were intending to arrest two teenagers in connection with an attack on cars and house signs in the early hours of Sunday morning. A number of cars had their wing mirrors bent or broken off and signs were ripped off houses in
A DESIGN contest for a long-awaited replacement of the former Crow's Nest cafe at Highcliffe is proving to be a real cliffhanger. Expert judges and more than 450 visitors to a public exhibition of the eight proposals submitted have cast their votes -
HI-TECH fraudsters are hitting at least one cash machine in the Bournemouth conurbation every week, in a counterfeiting crime wave that can make them thousands of pounds a time. Police say they believe the thieves are Londoners who travel to Dorset to
MISS Marple, Charlie Chan and his number one son Lee, Hercule Poirot, Jessica Fletcher... when it comes to solving murders they have it perfected. But how many times have you sat in front of the box and thought you could have done better? Be honest now
FRUSTRATED villagers are demanding action, fearing it is only a matter of time until a fatal road crash happens at Morden Park Corner. Morden Parish Council is campaigning for alterations - either a roundabout or centre turning space - to help local motorists
ORREC is the son and heir of Brantor of Caspromant and Gry is the daughter of the Brantors of Barre and Rodd. They have grown up together and both have inherited special gift passed on by their parents. Gry, who has the gift of calling animals to the
TOM Langdon has to travel from Washington DC to Los Angeles in time to spend Christmas with his girl-friend. Unfortunately his trip is made difficult by the fact he is banned from travelling by air in the United States following an incident with airport
THE company hoping to build a 340-dwelling waterside develop-ment at Hamworthy has been sent back to the drawing board by councillors who fear it would look like "Basingstoke-on-sea". The development for the former Pilkington's Tiles site, in Shapwick
RESIDENTS around Priory Lane in Bridport have met to agree a battle plan to oppose a 32-home development on their doorstep. The Thomas-Davies Trust wants to build 32 homes, including 12 affordable ones, in Bridports run-down south west quadrant. The development
FOUR Bridport youths were caught kicking, stamping and trying to set light to hedgehogs in a nearby village. The boys, one aged 17, two 16, and one 15, from the Bridport area, admitted causing unnecessary cruel ty to animals when they appeared at Poole
WINGBACK Mark Boyce last night became Steve Johnson's second Weymouth signing. The 24-year-old Hampton and Richmond defender has agreed terms at the Wessex Stadium until the end of this season. And the former Watford professional, who impressed against
SKIPPER Alex Browne and mid-fielder Mark Jermyn will miss Dorchester's Nationwide Conference South game at home to Bishop's Stortford tomorrow (3pm) through suspension. Both players have been given one-match bans after accumulating five yellow cards this
AS local businesses start preparing mailing lists for Christmas cards, the Department of Transport and Industry is encouraging Dorset companies to use these databases to develop customer relationships throughout the year. The DTI's Achieving Best Practice
FOUR years after falling over some carpet and damaging her back, bank worker Samantha Isaacs was beginning to wonder if her life would ever be normal again. "It never went away. Even on my honeymoon I spent three days in a wheelchair because I couldn't
THE Adored will be launching their new EP, Celebrating The Adored, on self-created label In Action Records, in a special gig tomorrow night at Mr Smiths. The five-piece, formed in 2001, will be showcasing the three new tracks amongst old favorites, Changing
WEYMOUTH'S Waterfest is being re-launched to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. Volunteers from the Friends of the Motor Vessel Freedom charity stepped in to resurrect the waterborne carnival after it foundered two years ago due to
A FORMER Royal Marine has taken over as head of police at Blandford and his vision includes tackling drug issues and antisocial behaviour. Insp Tim Lumley said he plans to carry on the community-style policing which the town has come to expect. The father-of-three
SCIENTISTS may have found the missing link in the evolution of a species of prehistoric sea lizard which once terrorised the seas off west Dorset. The fossilised remains of a razor-toothed ichthyosaur, which lived around 193 mil lion years ago, has been
I'VE had a bit of good fortune this week, and I don't mind telling you, I should soon be in the money. It's all thanks to some high-up banking chap in the West African republic of Benin who has a business proposition which, as he points out, will be beneficial
