X FACTOR contenders Rhythmix have decided to change their name after protests from a charity of the same name that works with disabled and vulnerable children. The former Weymouth school girl Perrie Edwards is one of four girls competing for
YEAR 6 children from Portesham Primary school were able to take advantage of a wonderful opportunity recently to go white water rafting at the Lee Valley White Water Centre in Hertfordshire. They were lucky enough to ride the rapids, prior to the world
EIGHT cars were damaged by a vandal today in Cromwell Road in Dorchester. A spokesperson for Dorset Police said that it happened sometime after 10am today. A witness parking their car at 10am reported that no cars were damaged at that
THE Lyric Theatre in Bridport is half way to its £8,000 fundraising target. The Barrack Street venue launched an appeal earlier this year after being told they needed to meet new fire regulations to bring the 18th-century building up to the
A PLEA has been issued for people to pack a public meeting in Bridport about the future of day care services. Dorset County Council was forced to organise a special summit in the town after an outcry when the west of the county was excluded from its
FOOD critics from the acclaimed Michelin Guide have praised a West Dorset pub – for its Scotch eggs and burgers. They included the Three Horseshoes at Powerstock as a new entry in the 2012 edition of the international food bible. Its citation reads:
THE owner of a Bridport sandwich bar claims work on the town hall has cost him £18,000 in lost revenue. Andrew Peters, of Get Stuffed in Bucky Doo Square, has written to complain to the town council. A town council committee has decided
TRAFFIC has began moving again on New Road in Portland after a crash blocked it for an hour and a half. A spokesman for Dorset Police said the collision was reported to the police and fire service at 3.10pm today. The incident involved
FOUR prisoners joined dozens of volunteers to brave The Ghost Tunnels of Portland and shift boulders, rubble and rubbish in time for a community event. More than 50 sacks of rubble and rubbish were cleared from the three tunnels at the High
MONEY has been stolen in two separate burglaries after thieves burgled two pubs. The first burglary happened overnight between Thursday October 20 and Friday October 21 at the Black Dog pub in Broadmayne. A quantity of cash, from both
TWO FRIENDS who went toe-to-toe in the boxing ring have raised hundreds of pounds for a children’s charity. Businessmen Joe Djeeebt and Nathan Moore put aside their longstanding friendship to square up to each other in a white collar boxing bout in aid
Two brothers jailed after being accused of conning thousands of customers into visiting what they claimed was a Lapland-style theme park near Ringwood have had their convictions overturned by appeal judges. Three judges at the Court of Appeal
A SILENT melodrama about drug smuggling at West Bay features on a new website alongside modern-day interviews. The Close Encounters media trail takes people on a journey of the resort as seen through the eyes of a group of amateur actors in the 1930s
AN EPILEPSY sufferer has spoken out against the lack of understanding about the illness. Family man Gavin Roberts has been hospitalised, grabbed around the neck by strangers and even handcuffed by police during an epileptic seizure. Problems occur when
TICKETS are still available for a night of Hallowe’en themed entertainment to raise funds for two worthy causes. Ghoulish costumes will be on show at the Hallowe’en Party at Dorchester’s Corn Exchange on Friday night in aid of Help for Heroes and the
TORY MP Richard Drax said he was standing up for his constituents and his country when he backed a motion for a referendum on EU membership. The South Dorset MP was one of 81 rebel Conserv-atives who defied David Cameron’s three line whip – the strongest
AFTER tense negotiations the future of the Nothe Fort during the 2012 period has been revealed. Now Weymouth Civic Society is celebrating securing a deal with Olympic organisers that will ensure the town's historic landmark benefits from the sailing
MICHELIN starred chef Russell Brown will be hoping he can handle the heat in the kitchen in a competition on national television. The man behind Dorchester’s Sienna restaurant will appear on ITV1’s Britain’s Best Dish: The Chefs next Monday. Russell
A MUCH loved actress who formed Dorset’s last living link to the great author Thomas Hardy has died at the grand old age of 105. Tributes have poured in for Norrie Woodhall, who acted in the original Hardy Players under the direction of Hardy and was
RESIDENTS are being allowed to return home this morning after a major gas leak yesterday. The fire service was called to Victoria Avenue, Swanage at 9.25am on Tuesday after reports the main was emitting gas and 28 homes were evacuated after
THE headmaster of Powerstock Primary School hopes that classes will continue as normal on Monday despite one building at the school being gutted by a blaze on Tuesday morning. The blaze was described as a ‘tragedy’ by parents, staff and governors after
BUSINESS people have marked a successful Open4Business festival by giving a local appeal a boost. A cheque for £1,751.07 was presented to Dorset County Hospital’s digital mammography appeal which was raised from the Open4Business Awards dinner and matched
THE turbulently beating heart of rural Dorset is laid bare this week when Weymouth Drama Club stages Far From the Madding Crowd at the town’s Pavilion theatre. Directed by Dennis Dunford, the cast breathe vibrant life into Thomas Hardy’s perennially
TWO local companies are celebrating being shortlisted for this year’s Dorset Business Awards. Judges for the 2011 countywide awards, which are supported by the Dorset Echo, have produced a shortlist of 27 companies and three schools across nine categories
THANKS to J Neimer for once again highlighting the mindless cyclists using pedestrian areas and footpaths. Also well done to Dorset Police for catching scores of motorists speeding in their no excuse campaign. Now can they please extend a no excuse
Our local MP has been found to dispose of letters, sent to him in good faith by his constituents in West Dorset, in the nearest dustbin. This outrageous behaviour is typical of the ‘don’t care’ attitude displayed by the current government. He is one
At the risk of being politically incorrect, do we in Dorset wish to encourage another 3,000, possibly double that figure, travellers to the county. Chief Insp Nick Maton appears to welcome the plan stating Operation Elder was a great success, reducing
I REFER to the letter concerning the School Crossing Patrol (SCP) at Winterbourne Abbas First School (Your Say, October 17). Richard Hyde claims that ‘when decisions are made many of the councillors are no more than voting fodder’ and that ‘half of them
“YOU will be brought to justice” – that’s Dorset Police’s message to arsonists who torched five vehicles in Weymouth. Arsonists used flammable liquid to set light to four cars in Beverley Road and Pemberton Close at Littlemoor just after 10pm on Sunday
A SWANAGE road remains cordoned off after a gas leak. The roads around Victoria Avenue in Swanage remain closed this morning after a gas leak in the town yesterday. Dorset Police put up a cordon and 28 homes had to be evacuated yesterday
HAVANT & W 4 Jones 49, Palmer 59, Igoe 65, Woodford 83 Dorchester TOWN 2 Bowles 8, Dickenson 15 THE age-old cliché ‘a game of two halves’ was more than apt as Dorchester Town surrendered a two-goal advantage at Westleigh Park last night
BRENDON King is hoping more fans flock to the Bob Lucas Stadium on Saturday when Weymouth meet big-spending Brackley. The jubilant Terras’ boss saw his side grind out a 1-0 victory over second-placed Oxford City last night, to extend their unbeaten
BOSS Ashley Vickers took full responsibility for last night’s capitulation at the hands of Havant & Waterlooville. The Magpies led 2-0 at the break courtesy of first-half goals from Gary Bowles and Ben Dickenson. But the tables turned dramatically in
WEYMOUTH 1 OXFORD CITY 0 WEYMOUTH continue to build momentum as they made it four league games unbeaten with what boss Brendon King described as a “workmanlike and professional” triumph over high-fliers Oxford City. A solitary Stephen Reed
BRIDPORT 2 WELLS CITY 4 WELLS City completed the double over Bridport with victory at St Mary’s Field last night. Having suffered a 6-2 defeat in Somerset at the end of August, the Bees were keen to set the record straight on home turf.
Under-12 Division Three CORFE MULLEN 5 WEYMOUTH WARRIORS 4 CORFE Mullen welcomed the Weymouth Warriors to their ground, which boasted a full-size pitch with adult goals, dwarfing the two keepers and looking promising for the strikers.
ALL Saints School pupil Matthew Maton, 11, finished third in the Dragon Tang Soo Do Open Championship near Bristol. The Weymouth youngster, was competing in the 11 to 16-year-old black belt sparring category. Having won his first two fights, his third
Under-15 Girls DORSET & WILTS 63 SOMERSET 5 DORSET & Wilts Girls started the new season just as they finished the last – in fine style. Playing at Monmouth Avenue, the Twin Counties inflicted a 63-5 hammering over Somerset. After
WEST Dorset Warriors held their Autumn Steps Gala at Thomas Hardye Leisure Centre, giving the younger members of the club the chance to compete against each other and obtain up-to-date personal best times. As always there was good competition among
THE Thomas Hardye equestrian team have qualified for the National Championships at Addington Manor in Buckinghamshire, after winning the eventers’ challenge at Millfield School. The team consisted of Maddie Morris, Chelsea Loveday, Kizzie Russell
WEYMOUTH 1 Reed 10 OXFORD CITY 0 WEYMOUTH continue to build momentum as they made it four league games unbeaten with what boss Brendon King described as a “workmanlike and professional” triumph over high-fliers Oxford City. A solitary
