VANDALS went on a major smashing spree in North Dorset, police said. At least 17 incidents happened in Sherborne sometime between midnight and 3am yesterday. Unknown offenders broke windows belonging to houses and shops and severely damaged
CORONATION Street star Chris Gascoyne, who plays Peter Barlow in the ITV soap, will be opening Poundland in Dorchester tomorrow. The store opened last week creating 37 new jobs but an event is being held at the South Street site from 10am on Saturday
WELL-KNOWN Chickerell resident and former publican Jim “Dusty” Miller has died at the age of 93. He was known to many for pulling pints at the Frampton Arms in Moreton which he ran with his wife Joan for many years. Jim was brought up in Chiswell
VETERAN entertainer Vic Banks has died aged 77 following a short illness. Vic, who was born in Dorchester but spent most of his life living in Weymouth, was well known to thousands of people across the county through his variety performances
A HOST of awards have been dished out to the best food and drink producers in Dorset. The fifth Taste of Dorset Awards named the best of what the county has to offer from restaurants to community gardens and orchards. Food producers in and
APPRENTICES who have been chipping away at a trade at Weymouth College have swept the board in a national competition. Thomas Whitehead, 22, of Weymouth, has been named the UK’s top stonemasonry trainee at the national final of SkillBuild, the
An anonymous donation has reunited Bovington Tank Museum with an item that was pinched by a young soldier 40 years ago. The apologetic letter which accompanied the mystery package on its arrival at the Bovington museum said: “In the late sixties
ROAD users are set to benefit from a £1.1million scheme to repair the surface along a main road in Dorset. The Highways Agency says work on the A31 between the Roundhouse roundabout near Wimborne and the Bere Regis roundabouts will begin next week
A TORCHBEARER took on an Olympic challenge to raise money and ‘inspire a generation’. Tim Ellis, who carried the torch through Poundbury in July, has since toured schools, clubs, and kayaking venues so people can have their picture taken with
A PLAN to convert a former carpet shop into a Chinese takeaway has been refused due to concerns for neighbouring residents. The proposal to turn half of the old Weymouth Carpets store in Abbotsbury Road into a takeaway was recommended for approval
RESIDENTS turned out in force to have their say on plans worth half a million pounds to overhaul a main road into Weymouth. The first public exhibition on the Preston Road proposals was packed out from the minute it was set up at the Spyglass Inn
POLICE in Sherborne are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information to come forward following two crimes on the same night in Over Compton. A restaurant burglary and a theft from a motor vehicle occurred at two neighbouring addresses.
CHANGES to the appearance of a development of affordable homes in Weymouth have been approved. The proposal to build 62 houses at Fairway Court in Westham is being delivered for Synergy Housing with design and building by the Leadbitter Group.
PLANS have been submitted for a new 10-home development on the edge of Dorchester . Bournemouth-based property firm Fresh Developments Ltd is proposing to demolish two homes in Came View Road to make way for 10 new three-bedroom houses. The
OLD school uniforms are being recycled on Portland and sent to East Africa to those most in need. The Isle of Portland Aldridge Community Academy (IPACA) has teamed up with the charity Operation Sunshine, an organisation that sends practical aid
A SPOKESMAN for First Bus admitted the company were ‘aware of the issues’. She said: “We are aware of the issues and the impact this has had on our customers. “Our team is working incredibly hard to resolve the problems for the benefit of everyone
A TRACTOR and 11 small hay bales were damaged in a fire at Baglake Farm, Litton Cheney. Dorset Fire and Rescue Service were called to the blaze at 6.10pm on Wednesday. Firefighters from Blandford and Bridport attended and found the fire to
YOUNG professionals in Dorchester are being offered the chance to go on a trip of a lifetime. Rotary International is looking for business people or professionals to travel to Turkey next February. The four person team will visit different
A COASTGUARD hero drowned attempting to rescue sailors off Chesil Beach almost 70 years ago is having his name added to a memorial. Names recently added to the RNLI memorial at the charity’s headquarters in Poole will be unveiled at a dedication
FLAGS are being lowered in Dorchester as a popular competition comes to an end. The Dorchester BID (Business Improvement District), the town’s Chamber of Commerce and Dorchester Town Council ran the flags of the world competition throughout the
ANGRY parents from Weymouth and Portland have criticised the borough’s bus service. The regular customers claim that the ‘unreliable’ service provided by First is making their children late for school. They have hit out against the ‘expensive
TWO men were attacked by a gang in Weymouth in separate incidents within a few minutes of each other. The alleged assaults, which police believe could be linked, took place during an afternoon. Police are appealing for information about the
A WARNING has been issued to residents with chimneys following two major fires on the same day. Firefighters were first called to tackle a raging inferno that had taken hold of a historic thatched cottage in Moreton. Crews from Wareham, Dor-chester
ELEVEN friends swam for four and a half hours to successfully complete what they believe is the first-ever swim around Portland . The adventurers were inspired by the Paralympics to take on the gruelling nine-mile challenge in aid of the MV Freedom
THE Met Office has issued a severe weather warning for Dorset and south west England tomorrow. A spokesman said: “There is a risk that wet and windy weather will spread north from the Bay of Biscay to some southern areas of Britain. “However
Once again we are happy to say a big thank you to the members of the public who came to our latest Bingo at the Corn Exchange. You were so generous and supportive, even when the bingo machine stopped for a while, our caller Jan Hardy coped very well
You quote Councillor David Barrett as having said that the car parking in Queens Avenue, “in a conservation area” made him feel “sorrowful”. He confuses himself; the problem relates to traffic difficulties, not the environment. However, when
We live in Weymouth and have done for less than three years. I suppose we will always be known as ‘grockles’, especially as we are retired and do all the things tourists do. One thing that occurred to me, is that people refer to the Rodwell
A CONFIDENCE trickster who swindled a grandmother out of her life savings has been sentenced to 40 months in jail. Gerald Bown, 57, was sentenced in his absence at Dorchester Crown Court for a charge of obtaining property by deception dating back
A PERMANENT reminder of Weymouth and Portland ’s role in the 2012 Olympics has taken pride of place at a beauty spot on top of the island. The 2.5-metre tall Olympic rings sculpture carved specially for the Games by craftsmen at Albion Stone
PORTLAND Coastguard received a report of distress signals near Purewell, Christchurch, yesterday evening. Fortunately a member of the coastguard team reported Chinese lanterns in the same area. A coastguard spokesman said users should
PORTLAND Coastguard received a report of distress signals near Purewell, Christchurch, on Thursday evening. Fortunately a member of the coastguard team reported Chinese lanterns in the same area. A coastguard spokesman said users should inform
Dorchester Town have raided crisis-club Truro City and swooped for defender Arran Pugh. The towering figure can operate anywhere along the back four but a hand injury is likely to prevent him making his county town debut in tomorrow’s FA Cup tie
AN EMERGENCY call to Portland Coastguard last night reporting a person had fallen over a cliff was a hoax. The 999 call was made on Thursday evening from a young woman, believed to be in Bournemouth. Further questioning revealed the caller was
THE players are to blame for Weymouth’s disappointing start to the season, according to striker Ben Joyce. The former Salisbury City man made the admission after Wednesday night’s defeat at Frome Town and reckons things need to change quickly before
Upwey & Broadwey could be boosted by the return of three players ahead of tomorrow’s clash against Witchampton United at Redlands (3pm). Clive Johnson and Ethan Devaney both look certain to be back in action and there is an outside chance
DORCHESTER will be wary of a wounded Wimborne tomorrow (2.30pm) as the two sides meet for the second time in eight days. The county town outfit recorded a 28-10 victory at Coburg Road in last Saturday’s Southern Counties South encounter. And
WEYMOUTH Ladies competed superbly against two of the top-ranked teams in the country. The squad travelled to Poole where they took on National League Super 8 team Wessex and the 2011 English champions London Polonia in a pre-season friendly.
A 21-YEAR-OLD has set off on a voyage from Weymouth that she hopes will take her around the British Isles and to the Mediterranean. Michelle Bayliff joined The Next Wave, a sea-going sail training ketch owned by Youth With A Mission (YWAM).
RYAN Dovell could make a welcome return to the Bees’ frontline for tomorrow’s clash with lowly Bristol Manor Farm (3pm). The former Dorchester Town striker missed Tuesday night’s draw at Wells City after sustaining a groin injury in last Saturday
CHRIS Wilson is calling on his Blues to keep their eye on the prize as they bid to maintain their perfect start to the season against Merley Cobham Sports (3pm). Portland United currently occupy top spot in the Magna Dorset Premier League courtesy
BAYEUX claimed the honours in this year’s Twin Town Shooting Competition with Dorchester . The sea was mirror calm as the Dorchester Rifle & Pistol Club shooters set out from Poole early in the morning for the 27th contest between the Twin
OLYMPIC and Paralympic sailors including gold medallists Ben Ainslie and Helena Lucas provided a star-studded launch to this year’s PSP Southampton Boat Show. Four-time Olympic champion Ainslie and Paralympic 2.4mR medallist Lucas were joined
