A MAJOR round-the-clock security operation has swung into action amid fears that travellers could invade King's Park in Bournemouth this Christmas. With memories of the devastation caused in December 2001 and the £150,000 clean-up bill still fresh in
THE mother of a 15-year-old Bournemouth schoolboy is appealing for a Good Samaritan who helped her son after he was knocked over in a hit-and-run accident to come forward. The youngster, who did not wish to be named, from Charminster was struck as he
HOSPITALS are bracing themselves for another battle against the highly-infectious Norwalk virus. Minor outbreaks of the gastroenteritis bug have recently forced the temporary closure of two wards at both Bournemouth and Poole. But bosses are looking anxiously
PROJECTS conserving Purbeck's rich heritage for the future have received a £125,000 lottery cash injection. Purbeck District Council's heritage committee has won stage one of a bid for Heritage Lottery funds totalling £1.45 million. The money will be
BEN Rumble played a starring role as Wimborne registered their first victory over local rivals Swanage & Wareham for more than 10 years. Rumble stole the show by scoring two excellent individual tries as Wimborne recorded a narrow 20-19 win over their
LEE Smart is backing Weymouth to lift some speedway silverware next season. And the new Wildcats signing is well qualified to judge the Wessex Stadium outfit's Conference League credentials. The flying 16-year-old, who last night penned a one-year deal
CALLS have been made for urgent safety improvements to the Ferndown bypass in the wake of several fatal accidents along the busy route. Town chiefs say hatched markings are needed along the centre of the road between the Dolmans Crossing roundabout, near
A BRIDPORT man has been sentenced to compulsory drug treatment and community rehabilitation for breaching his anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) three times. Prosecuting at Weymouth Magistrates Courts, Daniel Siong said David Frederick Cant, 31, of East
A JEWELLER has praised police and Weymouth's crime-busting security cameras after a smash and grab raid was foiled days before Christmas. Paul Arnold, owner of HJ White Weymouth Goldsmiths in St Mary Street, says the business he has run with wife Anne
MEMORIALS to a hospital's fallen war heroes are to be unveiled at a special rededication ceremony. The brass plaques, which have been restored after years of neglect, are to be put up in the community centre in Charlton Down, the former Herrison Hall
PLANS to introduce an alcohol-free zone in Ringwood's town centre moved a step closer with calls for a report into the possible impact of a ban. Last month beat officer PC Chris White called for a ban in a bid to clear up a group of vagrants who gather
CYCLISTS' dreams of reviving plans to create a cycle route along a picturesque coastal trail moved a step closer when planners agreed to conduct a feasibility report. In the summer, Dorset Cycle Network collected a petition with 600 signatures calling
PETER Phillips is optimistic 2005 could see Cherries at last start making inroads into their debts. The Cherries chief, who recently admitted that the strains of the job were taking their toll, has seen his hopes of bringing down the figure to a more
THE family of the Earl of Shaftesbury say they fear the worst as police confirmed they were treating his disappearance as murder. The 66-year-old has not been seen since early November when he vanished on a trip to the French Riviera. He was due to return
MYSTERY surrounds the death of a pensioner whose remains were found by workmen in a ditch on the A338 Spur Road - two years after he was reported missing. The remains of John Harris, 73, were discovered on October 27 this year in an area of undergrowth
A PARTIALLY deaf eight-year-old with a special talent for dancing will be able to perform with a major ballet company thanks to the generosity of AFC Bournemouth players. Beth Orchard, of Aspen Gardens, Rossmore has been dancing since the age of 19-months
A MAJOR round-the-clock security operation has swung into action amid fears that travellers could invade King's Park this Christmas. With memories of the devastation caused in December 2001 and the £150,000 clean-up bill still fresh in their minds, the
WHEN Will Mellor left Hollyoaks six years ago he took a gamble. Having been in the soap since its first episode on October 23, 1995, the series had put him on the TV map. However, he decided to take a risk and see what else was out there for him. "I'd
IRENA Critchley, Dorset's top junior player, travelled to Northern Ireland where she recorded some notable victories and won the plate competition in the Irish Junior Open, writes Karen Chubb. The fifteen-year-old, who attends Talbot Heath School and
DORCHESTER'S dazzling on-loan Portuguese winger Diogo Andrade will be available for Sunday's derby clash with Weymouth at the Avenue Stadium despite being told AFC Bournemouth won't be offering him a permanent contract. The 19-year-old, who played in
WORLD-CLASS Dorset aerospace group Cobham has announced the largest acquisition in its history - the $260 million (£134.4 million) cash purchase of US-based Remec Defense & Space Inc. Buying Remec doubles Cobham's Chelton microwave military systems
TEENAGE sensation Antonio Lindback has confirmed he will have the same backroom set-up next season despite taking part in the Grand Prix World Championship for the first time. The 19-year-old Swede joined Bjarne Pedersen, Ricky Ashworth, Ryan Sullivan
POLICE have ordered a cover up of furniture business boss David Lindley's naked big bosomed festive gnome. Officers called on Mr Lindley at his business near Dorchester after a complaint from an upset motorist who claimed the well-endowed three-foot-tall
MANAGING director Sara Weller stopped off at the Argos store in her home town of Weymouth - 20 years after she first visited it as a teenager. Mrs Weller, who took over as managing director of the retail giant in July, visited the St Mary Street store
TALENTED Chris Stanton will soon be moving from pulling pints to pulling in the crowds when he appears on the West End stage. He is to work alongside ex-EastEnders actor Michael French after being selected to stand in for the role of sleazy lawyer Billy
THE problems of late-night drinking in the centre of Bridport could worsen with the closure of the town's only nightclub. The loss of De'Vinchies in West Bay Road could lead to more anti-social behaviour in the heart of the town, Coun Gill Fifield warned
TENANTS are set to receive a festive gift - free smoke alarms. Bosses at Dorchester based Magna Housing Association are offering the potential lifesavers to its tenants in a bid to cut the number of fires over the Christmas season. The organisation is
ROADWORKS are set to bring new year misery to a Dorset village, locals claim. People living in Maiden Newton fear six weeks of disruption is on the cards because of repairs to the main road through the village. They claim businesses will be hit when the
CONSERVATIONISTS are making a bid to save Blandford buildings which could be up for demolition. Archbishop Wake School in Park Road is due to be rebuilt on the site of St Leonard's Middle. And Nordon in Salisbury Road, currently the home of North Dorset
A FRIEND of mine used to say that he longed to begin Christmas Day by throwing open his bedroom window and shouting: "I haven't missed it! The spirits did it all in one night!" For anyone who thinks that's really inexplicable behaviour, I should point
