TWO major schemes for a boat park and a marina at Portland have been backed by planners. The first by the Olympic Delivery Authority will create a boat park, slipways, a pier and a crane at the Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy while the second will
A MAN has died following a collision on the A354. A police spokesman said a green Toyota Corolla was in a low speed collision with a white VW Caddy near the roundabout by Dorchester Football Club. The spokesman said the Corolla driver, a 68-year-old
A SCHEME to convert Weymouth's fire-ravaged Maiden Street Methodist Church into a restaurant and 15 homes came in for some heavy criticism before being agreed by planners. Some councillors said the design looked like 'an office block', while others thought
POLICE are cracking crime in Dorset, latest figures show. Comparing the operational year April 2006 to March 2007 to the previous year, violence involving injury, domestic burglaries and vehicle crime all saw reductions. The only types of crime on the
PART of Weymouth town centre would be turned into 'a no-go area' if it was closed to traffic to try and curb yobbish behaviour, councillors have been warned. Hoteliers and guesthouses in the area representing sites such as the Central Hotel said they
A COLOURFUL display of art is on show at All Saints School in Weymouth. The art, design and textile exhibition - featuring around 500 pieces - is the result of two years of work by more than 50 GCSE students. Head of art Brian Smith said: "It never
DORCHESTER Town midfielder Barry McConnell has had his contract cancelled by mutual consent. The 30-year-old former Exeter City star was unable to commit to training at the club's facility in Bournemouth so it was felt in everyone's best interest to
I've always lived in Weymouth, and remember not only being able to see the White Horse from most of the town but also it being a reasonable drawing of a man on a horse. It's in such bad condition now that if it was a real horse I'm sure the council would
DORCHESTER prison opened its doors - to admit children. The youngsters are in this country on a holiday break from Belarus where children still suffer from the effects of the Chernobyl disaster of 1986. And they enjoyed a party afternoon at Dorchester
Householders will find it much easier to go green with their choice of energy provider under new proposals. But fears remain that eco-friendly tariffs may be passed over for cheaper regular tariffs. Consumers will be able to compare the environmental
A WOMAN from Dorchester has been charged with 11 offences of blackmail and attempted blackmail after a police investigation into animal rights extremism. The 34-year-old was originally arrested in March by officers from Staffordshire Police's Public
A PREGNANT teenager who stabbed her boyfriend with his penknife in Weymouth has been sentenced to a 12-month youth community order at Dorchester Crown Court. Victoria Messer, 17, of Princess Road, West-bourne, Poole pleaded guilty to unlawfully wounding
PRESSURE is mounting for a council to rethink its decision not to name new roads in Poundbury after Dorset war heroes. The Duchy of Cornwall approached Dorchester Town Council with a view to naming streets in Poundbury in honour of the Dorset Regiment
MOTORISTS are facing delays after a car accident on the A354 between Dorchester and Weymouth. Police say it is a minor injury collision but one man has been taken ill at the wheel of his car and is being treated by paramedics. One lane of the road is
FOODIES will be in hog heaven this weekend when Bridport Food Festival takes place. From tomorrow until Sunday, July 1, the West Dorset town will be awash with demonstrations, tastings, food stalls and much more. At 6pm tomorrow the festival gets under
A RAILWAY embankment has been left looking like a battlefield after Network Rail chopped down dozens of trees, it was claimed today. Dorchester town and Dorset county councillor Richard Biggs says the embankment on the Dorchester to Bristol line off
HISTORY will be made next week when an unusual railway partnership not seen for 40 years is celebrated in Weymouth. A steam train visiting from London is set to be banked' towards Dorch-ester on its return journey, recreating scenes of yesteryear. Up
THE Caribbean came to Weymouth this week and schoolchildren got a taste of the tropical. Wyvern Special School, off Dorchester Road, has been enjoying a Caribbean theme week giving pupils an insight into another way of life. Visitor Kofi Leo taught
VETERANS of past conflicts gathered in Dorchester for a special service to mark National Veterans' Day. The ex-servicemen and women were joined by Dorchester mayor Coun David Barrett and other town councillors for the service at The Keep Military Museum
INJURED paramedics raced a patient 100 yards on a trolley to hospital after their ambulance was involved in a collision. Two paramedics and one other crew member pushed the patient to Dorset County Hospital, Dorchester, following the crash in nearby
BUILDERS have proudly unveiled the first of Weymouth's restored seafront shelters. It has taken six months of painstaking work to create exact replicas of the original Victorian wooden joints and cast iron decorations. But project supervisor Eric Haskins
FORWARD Jefferson Louis has become the latest player to join the ranks at Weymouth. The 28-year-old, who is 6ft 2in tall, signed a one-year contract last night and Terras' boss Jason Tindall is delighted with the deal. The Blue Square Premier outfit's
ROYSTON DAVIES aims to put the sting back into the Bees following his appointment as first team manager at Bridport Football Club yesterday. The former Crystal Palace and Swindon Town apprentice has renewed his love affair with the club after he was
THREE Weymouth kickboxers are aiming to become champions of Europe. The King Tiger Thai Boxing Club have their top fighters bidding for European titles in Birmingham this weekend. British champions Dan Webb, 19 (super middleweight) and Vicki Rogers,
WEY Valley School and Sports College's annual sports presentation evening was a big success according to teacher and organiser Stuart Heath. Marcus Biles and Sophie Lewis were awarded with the Laura Moss Sports Personality of the Year Awards, Louis Hall
The Dorset Echo has teamed up with Secondwind Watersports, one of the UK's premier watersports stockist, to offer readers the chance to win an amazing Bic Ouassou Kayak. Secondwind Watersports carries a comprehensive of over 80 sit-on-tops, ocean kayaks
ORGANISERS of a search to find the best young writers in Dorset say they have unearthed talent good enough to rival adults in the world famous Bridport Prize competition. Funding from the Arts Council led to the revival of the Bridport Prize Junior
I REFER to the letter One more of our precious freedoms is swept aside' Mr John Aldridge-Goult (Echo, June 25) and ask the question: What about the freedom to breathe? Everyone debates the rights of the smokers and their freedom to smoke wherever they
BRIDPORT'S bulky household waste depot, criticised for creating smells and traffic queues, looks set to remain at its 'temporary' home... for a ninth year. Dismayed town councillors say the prospect of the county council finding a permanent site any
