MY FAMILY, Sheelagh, Kate & Amelia, are again running the RACE FOR LIFE at Kingston Maurward on Saturday, 20th May, in aid of Cancer Research UK & if anyone would like to sponsor them, please get in touch with me or go on line to http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org
ARMED police have seized guns and drugs during a major operation in Weymouth today. Two addresses in the town including a business were raided and five people were arrested in total. See Thursday's Echo for full report and pictures.
TWO giant chocolate hares helped boost funds in aid of children. House of Dorchester, the premium British chocolatier, helped two charities with fundraising efforts this Easter with the donation of two specially created chocolate hares. Julia’s House
A TASTE of Japan has been brought to Portland ahead of the Olympic Games. Japanese artists Masami Aihara and Takahiro Ishii are based at the Drill Hall on Portland using Portland stone as an outlet for their creative talent. The artistic pair will spend
THE Angling Trust has launched an anti-litter campaign to enlist anglers’ help to clean up beaches in west Dorset. It comes after a woman’s plea to fishermen to take more care after her dog got impaled on a fishhook David Mitchell, who is marine environmental
A DISTRAUGHT cat owner is offering a reward for the safe return of her missing pet. Bear, an eight-year-old cream grey Persian, was last seen on Friday at his home in Pretoria Terrace, Weymouth. His owner, Paula Stay said: “Bear has a huge personality
A STROKE survivor who learned to ride a bike again after almost losing his life will take part in a cycle challenge. John Nicholson, from Southill, Weymouth, suffered a stroke and brain haemorrhage in 2009 and had a further craniotomy in 2010
TELEVISION cameras drop-ped into a Dorset pub that is up for sale. Escape to the Country presenter Jonnie Irwin paid a visit to the Gaggle of Geese at Buckland Newton to show a couple of prospective buyers around the pub. After completing the filming
A WEYMOUTH man who was jailed after sparking a police manhunt following a spree of violent crime has failed in an appeal against his sentence. Colin Paul Douglas, 26, was convicted of multiple offences including two armed robberies, arson, carjacking
PLANS have been unveiled for this year’s Dorchester Carnival. Organisers say a Carnival King will take centre stage alongside the Carnival Queen at the 2012 event. The annual county town celebration will take place on Saturday, June
A TREE suffering from brown rot had to be brought down in Weymouth, closing a road for several hours. A third of the Horse Chestnut tree in the garden of a house in Radipole Lane, Radipole village, blew down on Sunday night because the disease caused
POLICE warn motorists not to leave valuables unattended after a handbag was stolen from a parked car. Dorchester Inspector Les Fry issued the warning after Dorset Police received a report of the theft at a car park at Eggardon Hill. He said: “At noon
GET your flags out for Pat – that’s the message to traders as a mark of respect for Weymouth’s Flag Man. Pat Silverton, better known as The Flag Man, who voluntarily put up and maintained the flags and bunting in St Alban Street, Weymouth, passed away
A GANG was caught on CCTV siphoning diesel from lorries in a spate of fuel thefts in the Dorchester area. Diesel was stolen from six lorries and a fuel tank at JW Scaffolding in Wanchard Lane, Charminster, and another six lorries were drained at Bardon
RESIDENTS fled a block of flats in the night after arsonists started a fire. The blaze flared up in a flat that was being used as a squat in Chickerell Road, Weymouth, early yesterday, fire chiefs said. No one was injured in the fire
West Dorset MP Oliver Letwin has officially opened Bridport’s unique renewable energy centre The Core. The building, run by local building services company AP Chant showcases all renewable technologies in an interactive experience. The Renewable Energy
THE disturbing and poignant story of a youth who is forced to confront the terrible events of his past is the theme of Peter Shaffer’s play Equus, which comes to West Dorset this month. Based on real-life events and performed by London Classic Theatre
THIS gigantic crab has escaped the cook pot and will be showcased at Weymouth Sea Life Park. The Tasmanian King Crab is a delicacy in its native Australia and was destined for the dinner table until it was snapped up by a British aquarium worker
COUNCILLORS have signed off blueprints for the first buildings to spring up at Link Park in Chickerell, Weymouth. DJ Property secured outline planning consent for the scheme, built next to the Granby Industrial Estate, in 2008. Members
STUDENTS at a Weymouth school have won an award in a national competition to get pupils on their bikes. The Big Pedal competition, led by charity Sustrans and sponsored by the Bike Hub, saw schools across the country competing to see how many journeys
THOMAS ANDREW BELL, aged 22, of St Georges Road, Portland. Found guilty of keeping an unlicensed vehicle on a public road, namely Avenue Road. Fined £175 and ordered to pay vehicle excise back duty of £17.92 and £60 costs. LAURA COMBEN, age unknown,
DAVID CHAFFEY, aged 47, of Dorchester Road, Maiden Newton. Found guilty in absence of keeping an unlicensed vehicle on a public road, namely the White Horse car park. Fined £175 and ordered to pay vehicle excise back duty of £35.84 and costs of £60.
ANDREW STONER, age unknown, of Coles Close, Sturminster Newton. Found guilty in absence of failing to deliver to the Secretary of State part of the registration document relating to the notification of transfer of a vehicle to a person who was not a vehicle
DALE MICHAEL OSBORNE, aged 24, of Leamington Road, Weymouth. Admitted assault by beating. Discharged conditionally for 12 months. Ordered to pay compensation of £25. JONATHAN CHARLES ARMITAGE, aged 36, of Knightsdale Road, Weymouth. Admitted using a
OLYMPIC security leaders in Dorset were put through their paces in a major exercise to tackle scenarios that could affect this summer’s big event. Around 175 people from organisations across the county, including the emergency services, Environment Agency
DORSET residents gave a roaring royal reception to the Queen when she visited the county just ahead of her Diamond Jubilee. The Queen brightened up the rain-sodden streets of Sherborne in a vibrant pink overcoat with black buttons and trimming. She
WEYLINE 3 Rodwell 1 WEYLINE are now just one step away from securing a historic treble after seeing off Rodwell in the Dorset Sunday Intermediate Cup final. The Weymouth Sunday League Premiership champions beat their top-flight rivals 3-
THE newest Weymouth Cougars team stretched their unbeaten run in the Dorset and Wiltshire Ability Counts League to 19 games at the sixth and final league meeting of the season at Chippenham. The Cougars captured the Championship League title after
SOPHIE Keech successfully defended her crown at the regional qualifier of the Faldo Series at the Royal Ashdown golf course in East Sussex. The result means the Lyme Regis Golf Club ace has once again qualified for the series final at the Lough Erne
I would reassure any Echo reader facing a forthcoming hospital in-patient situation at Dorset County Hospital as follows: Finding myself being urgently admitted to that hospital – albeit only for 14 hours, I cannot speak highly enough of the totally
A happy group of people gathered on Portland Road to cheer Paul Smith on his way to the Arsenal Emirate Stadium on the first day of his Wheelchair Challenge 200. Members of the local Save the Children committee and pupils from All Saints School
HAVING read two reports about the British International Film Festival held at the Rembrandt Hotel last weekend, I was disappointed that there was no acknowledgment to the locals ie the cine club chairman Anne Vincent, David Martin and retired BBC cameraman
DORCHESTER Town have made their first signing of the close season – former Weymouth keeper Jason Matthews. The 37-year-old arrives at the Avenue Stadium on a one-year deal from Bath City and becomes Phil Simkin’s first capture as permanent boss. The
BABS Alexandra, who is still taking to the local alleys at the age of 92 for Wyke Skylarks, reckons skittles helps keep her young. Babs has been involved in the game for over 30 years and although she does not play as often as she once did,
A friend phoned at 10pm last night and said if I looked out of my (sea view) window I would see the lasers display. All I saw was a thin bluey green light following along the line of waves shining from the pavilion end of the beach towards Bowleaze.
Dorchester Town Council failed to consult the people of Dorchester about their approach to Christ-ianity. Coun Richard Biggs, seconded by Coun Molly Rennie, and their eight supporters, including the mayor-elect agent Coun Andy Canning, have broken
WEYMOUTH’S Chloe Wakely experienced mixed fortunes at the Dorset County Championships at the Sir David English Sports Centre in Bournemouth. The Budmouth College student lost out to Sophie Males (Bournemouth School for Girls) in the under-14 singles
DORSET & Wilts Under-15s made it a hat-trick of victories at the South West 10s Tournament. Ten county squads and two teams from Newport Gwent Dragons gathered at Chippenham RFC for this year’s annual event, sponsored by Rugby Moves, and it was the Twin
TORNADOES of South Dorset swimmers bagged Regional Qualifying Times and a host of personal bests at both the Taunton Deane Long Course Open Meet and Bournemouth Short Course Open Meet. Both Freya Stanger (10yrs) and Hannah Marklew (12yrs) joined the
WET and windy conditions failed to put a dampener on Weymouth Rugby Club’s youth festival. The weather was far from ideal on the Saturday but dozens of teams, from under-7s to under-12s, put their skills to the test. And although the following day’s
THE LONDON Olympics might have come too soon for Xavier Vrigneau, but the Blandford modern pentathlete is still setting his sights on showing the rest of the world what he is made of this year. While athletes up and down the country are busy preparing
