DRIVERS were being warned to avoid Weymouth Esplanade due to heavy traffic yesterday. Residents said the area was 'gridlocked' while Dorset Council's Travel Dorset service was advising road users to steer clear for the time being. One resident
A MAN racially abused a shopworker in a row over a card payment. The man attempted to purchase alcohol and tobacco from the Spar shop on St Edmund Street at around 8.25pm on Tuesday, June 23. He pretended to use a bank card to touch the card
TRAVELLERS that have arrived at Poundbury in Dorchester have been asked to leave by the Duchy of Cornwall. The group arrived last night and is currently parked at the Great Field, which belongs to the Duchy. Residents say a group of around
PEOPLE are being warned that Weymouth's resident seal is getting 'amorous' with swimmers. Coastguards have had several reports of Sammy possibly seeking a mate in the waters off Weymouth. A spokesman for Wyke Regis Coastguard Rescue Team said
Having to self-isolate whilst overseas will not qualify you for a refund, holidaymakers are warned. Package holiday firms and insurance providers would be highly unlikely to pay out anyone who cancelled a trip away due to developing coronavirus
FOOTBALL manager and Julia’s House patron, Harry Redknapp, has given the Julia’s House Around the World challenge team of carers, nurses and support staff a massive boost as they start the last leg of the fundraising virtual journey around the world
COASTGUARDS were mobilised after a diver suffered head and back injuries. A spokesman for Portland Bill Coastguard Rescue Team said: "The team was tasked by NMOC (National Maritime Operations Centre) to assist South Western Ambulance Service at
With thousands of holidays cancelled across the UK and lockdown measures beginning to ease, many people are wondering when they can next go away. After air bridges were agreed with several European countries and some UK holiday accommodation has
POLICE have appealed to the public across Dorset to help find a missing man. Duncan Hewitt, who is 60 years old, left his home at around 2pm yesterday but has not returned. He was reported missing at 0.54am this morning. He is described as
A FORMER rifleman struggled to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder after the death of close colleagues during operational tours, an inquest has heard. Jamie Davis, who was well known throughout the Dorset rugby community, was found deceased
A 44-YEAR-OLD woman from Blandford has appeared in court charged with drug driving and possession of diamorphine. Donna Michelle Bennett of Oakfield Street pleaded guilty to committing the offences in Blandford on November 14 and December 17 respectively
A DRIVER travelling at 82mph in a 40 limit told police: "If I'm banned I will be sacked." Officers from the Dorset Police No Excuse team stopped a Vauxhall Insignia on Thursday July 2. The driver said he had had a busy day and was keen to get
The coronavirus has caused several Spanish beaches, after a resurgence in cases in certain areas across the country. Around 50 beaches along the Costa del Sol were shut over the weekend, in order to enforce social distancing measures and prevent
POLICE stopped a car with illegal tyres on its way to Romania. The vehicle was initially brought to the attention of Dorset Police No Excuse officers for showing no insurance on the database. However, officers found the driver had bought the
ROADWORKS which could last for three weeks have started on St John Way, Dorchester. Half the road will be closed for most of the time with two-way traffic in operation, although not controlled by lights. The closure is part of the £1.2 million
NETWORK Rail has urged people to stay away from the railway following a surge in trespass incidents. A person walking their dog on the track and someone crossing the track with a shopping trolley are among 70 incidents reported on the Wessex route
IT'S 'good to go' for the Swanage Railway which will start running a special fundraising train service from this weekend. Supporting the heritage railway’s survival plan – and running alongside its £360,000 ‘Save Our Service’ donation appeal – the
DORSET libraries will begin a phased reopening from tomorrow. Following the recent relaxation of lockdown restrictions, Dorset Council has announced the reopening of 22 of its 23 libraries. The libraries will operate using an order and collect
A HISTORICAL landmark and tourist attraction will be reopening this weekend, thanks to funds raised by members of the public. Nothe Fort in Weymouth is making use of more than £10,000 raised as part of a Crowdfunder campaign, which will allow staff
AS MOST businesses return to ‘normal’ this week Dorset Council says that most of its staff will continue working from home with offices staying closed to the public. The authority is unable to fit its whole workforce into offices and many other
HI READERS it’s Emily and William writing about Zoom meetings People First Dorset are holding. We like them as they’re a chance to see our friends and talk about how we’re doing. We both have two calls weekly with one group and I, William, also
DORSET Council meetings not taking place this week include the People scrutiny committee today and a joint public health board on the same day. The scrutiny committee will be held on July 20 with the joint public health board re-arranged for Tuesday
‘IT is still with us, it is still here – It hasn’t gone away’. The warning words from Dorset’s director of public health, Sam Crowe, as the county unwinds some of the pandemic lockdown measures. For Weymouth councillor and practising GP Dr
I THINK all Echo readers have been interested in letters about air quality which have appeared in the newspaper over the last few months. There have been reports from some of the big cities that pollution was greatly reduced during the Covid-19
FOR months I have avoided sending letters about the failure of government over Brexit or dealing with Covid 19, as by and large, I have felt the efforts have been well meant and generally about right. But here I am frustrated, not by national government
Here are our pets of the week, could you give them a forever home? Betty I’m Betty and I am 11 years old. I’m a sweet and playful lady who would like to be the only pet in a quiet home. I’ve had some poorly skin but am recovering well.
A deer had to be escorted back back towards a nature reserve after enjoying the sea and sand at Weymouth Beach over the weekend. James Cole, 42, came to Weymouth on Sunday to visit his parents with his son. They went for a walk along The Esplanade
A FUND-RAISING appeal has been launched in a bid to restore Wareham Forest following a devastating fire. Forestry England hopes to plant thousands of new trees and restore lost habitats. Any money raised will also help to pay for preventative
Thanks to Peter Foster of Dorchester for getting in touch. Peter said that reading about children's author Gilbert Dalton’s time living in Weymouth made him think of the BBC Radio Children’s Hour, particularly in the 1950s and the early 1960s.
WELDMAR Hospicecare's day services resumed this week. The service has been suspended since the start of lockdown restrictions in March, but the charity has come up with revised arrangements which will see several patients able to return. All
In our series of article on Dorchester High Street, we've been looking at the different shops in the street and their various guises over the years. We looked at the past of 48 High West Street which is where the Dorchester Prison surgeon Dr John
THERE are now six giant cruise liners anchored in Weymouth Bay. Residents and visitors alike have been captivated by the incredible sight of some of the world’s biggest cruise ships resting off-shore. After the coronavirus pandemic brought
I was very pleased to hear on the radio that during lockdown more people have taken up running than ever before (apparently the number of people downloading the “Couch to 5k” app has doubled in the last two months). I have been a runner for years and
AFTER lots of entries from children across Dorset to our creative writing competition, two winners have been selected. To give children across Dorset something to do while schools were closed, we asked youngsters to send in a story inspired by,
MANUFACTURING accounts for 11 per cent of the South West’s economy and 245,000 jobs in the region, research has found. A report from Make UK, the manufacturers’ organisation, and the accountancy and business advisory firm BDO, says the sector is
DORSET has leaned more heavily on the government’s coronavirus bailouts than most areas and could face mass unemployment, it is claimed. Analysis by the US shows 36 per cent of workers in the Dorset Council area are on either the coronavirus job
With plenty of summer still ahead to enjoy, pub beer gardens will be the perfect location to spend time in as lockdown restrictions ease. Beer gardens are likely be more popular than ever, with social distancing easier to maintain than in smaller
SEA Life in Weymouth has reopened to visitors. The park's new immersive experience, 'Night and Day', has been unveiled as part of the reopening on Saturday. The experience, which takes visitors through 24 hours in a coral reef as it moves from
DORSET Police dealt with nearly 400 999 calls on Saturday 4 July after the hospitality industry opened up following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. The police has been planning extensively with partners throughout lockdown for restrictions
A NEW online video library has been launched by Our Dorset, the partnership of health and social care organisations across the county. The library comes as part of the #HereForYou campaign and contains more than 200 easy-to-follow videos covering
