THE Dorset Echo is celebrating a record-breaking 1.2million hits on its website in March. It comes after a month where the Echo online coverage of the manhunt for a suspected armed robber and a video of the streaker on the pitch at a Havant and Waterlooville match got 143,000 people flocking the Echo’s popular website dorsetecho.co.uk

The number of unique visitors using the website has almost trebled in the last two years thanks to dozens of stories being posted daily.

The Echo’s online coverage was even praised by the leading detective in the manhunt for Colin Douglas in March after our breaking news updates not only kept the community informed but also assisted the police with their investigation.

From the moment the armed robbery happened in Weymouth to the minute the fugitive gunman was apprehended in Broadmayne following a night-time chase the Echo had a team of reporters working 24/7 to report on the latest news online at dorsetecho.co.uk

Now with thousands of people following the paper’s Twitter and Facebook pages, viewers are being attracted to the site by seeing previews on the social media websites.

As well as news the Echo website allows readers to access information about jobs, property and cars as well as keep informed with local events and offers – and there is a great click to find business and services directory.

The interactive What’s On section allows community members to post their own events online as well as browse a comprehensive list of events, clubs and gigs.

Last month we launched the Going for Gold Olympic section that features all the latest Olympic news as well as blogs from the Olympians.

Editor Toby Granville said: “It just goes to show that we are not just a newspaper – but with our website dorsetecho.co.uk we are a 24/7 news service for our readers.

“With the addition of Facebook and Twitter it means that viewers can interact in a way they never have before.

“Echo readers can get the news that matters to them by reading online at the touch of their fingertips as we bring you all of Dorset’s news first with our newspaper and website.”

Advertising manager Guy Neale said: “As one of the area’s leading websites these figures provide an ideal opportunity for all businesses – small and large – to reach previous untapped markets.

“They may be businesses locally who don’t realise the fantastic opportunities that online advertising combined with newspaper advertising can do to really get their message across.”