CHRISTCHURCH taxpayers narrowly escaped the burden of heavy court costs after the council's prosecution of a quayside restaurant was dismissed by a district judge. Despite failing to make a case against the directors of the Boathouse over the failure
THE iconic two and a half mile beech avenue near Wimborne is nearing the end of its natural life. The avenue contained 731 trees when William John Bankes planted them in 1835 as the main driveway to the house at Kingston Lacy. But time has taken its
ONE of Bournemouth's best-known authors was commemorated by the unveiling of a distinctive blue plaque on Wednesday. Flora Thompson joined the great names of Mary Shelley and Robert Louis Stevenson in being honoured on plaques in the town to celebrate
Ensnared escapologists, bejewelled animals and giggling judges. Prepare to be entertained as Britain's Got Talent returns for a second series. Simon Cowell and his cohorts, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan, have scoured the country in search of the nation's
ACCORDING to the ancient proverb a problem shared is a problem halved. Anne and Richard Bull from south Dorset would be the first to agree. The couple, both in their late 60s, are strong advocates of Victim Support, a charity committed to helping local
I WRESTLED, bare-handed, with one on Richmond Hill. People watched with bated breath to see who would come out on top but, typically, no one came to help. It was a fierce day with the wind howling and it soon became apparent that only one of us would
"IT WAS one of the best experiences I have ever had." Daily Echo feature writer Maria Court took on a survival challenge - and this year YOU can accept one too. She spent five days on Green Island in Poole on a Castaway-style survival challenge for
BEING shortlisted for the 2008 Indy Award for Best Soul/Jazz/Funk Act, Bournemouth singer songwriter Louise Golbey is a name to watch as the UK music industry scatters in search of the next Amy Winehouse, or the new Duffy or tomorrow's Adele. But Louise
A Poole councillor who spends up to three months every winter abroad has robustly defended his actions. Cllr Roger Gregory, who represents Hamworthy East for the Conservatives, has been holidaying in South Africa ever since being elected in 2003. He
Commercial heating specialist Hamworthy Heating has been acquired by privately-owned French company Groupe Atlantic for a figure reported to be in the region of £35 million. It has been sold by Private Equity company NGBI (part of the national Bank of
COUNCIL workers could be balloted on strike action amid claims they are being offered a below-inflation pay rise. Local union representatives say the final offer of 2.45 per cent with an extra boost for the lowest pay scales is "effectively a pay cut
COASTGUARD cover were set to be severely disrupted as staff staged their second one-day strike over pay - with both sides warning lives will be at risk. Around 50 Portland and Solent rescue centre staff, who had worked to rule since Tuesday, April 8,
It's a blustery issue, and one which more and more people are having to address in the 21st century: wind farms - whether we should have them and, if we do, where they should go. In our region alone, residents in places like East Stoke and Silton are
WORK started this week on laying the new cricket square and out-field at The Leaze in Wimborne, for Wimborne Cricket Club. The cricketers formerly played at Hanhams on leased ground, and their former base off Park Lane is the subject of a separate application
SHE is known the world over, gracing the covers of celebrity magazines and living the high life. But celebrity socialite Paris Hilton had to make do with rather less glamorous surroundings when she visited Southampton on Tuesday. The star was in
A THREE-DAY pop festival, to be held at Lulworth Castle, has been granted a licence by Purbeck council. Camp Bestival, curated by Radio One DJ Rob Da Bank, will take place from July 18 to 20 and is expected to attract 10,000 revellers over the weekend
A SCHOOL carpenter who drove after drinking then crashed into a house has been sacked. Richard Price, from Gillingham, had been working for Port Regis School in Shaftesbury, Bournemouth Magistrates Court heard. The 26-year-old was a "valued member of
REIGNING National Gravel Rally champion Marcus Dodd from Poole only managed to get as far as the opening stage of the second round of the series at the weekend. After winning the opening round in Bournemouth, Dodd was favourite to extend his championship
FERNDOWN Otters' breaststroking double-act Naomi Vides and Fran Hughes catapulted themselves into the top 20 in Britain with a brace of fine swims at the British Championships and Olympic Trials in Sheffield. Hughes, 15, and 13-year-old Vides arrived
RUNAWAY Ryan the pig is still being cared for at Ashley Heath's RSPCA centre after its owner failed to come forward. The piglet - nicknamed after a certain airline - was spotted trotting along the road to Bournemouth Airport on Wednesday April 2. He
NEW research from Clydesdale Bank has revealed that Britain's business men and women can't switch off from work during family holidays - with many struggling to find a balance between their work and private life. When asked about their holiday habits
ROADWORKS on the main road of an East Dorset village will last until June. Temporary traffic lights will remain on the main artery of Colehill until the end of May as engineers install improvements to the local gas supply. A spokesman for Scottish and
A SECTION of road near the A31 in Corfe Mullen was closed on Wednesday morning after a lorry collided with a tree. Police closed Knoll Lane in both directions between the Coventry Arms and its junction with Rushall Lane at about 8.30am. The ambulance
I'M a celebrity, do as I say. But according to scientists, we should not be taking any notice of the dafter claims made by some of the people who regularly adorn the pages of magazines and tabloid newspapers. Sarah Beeney, Stella McCartney, Gwyneth Paltrow
WHEN 21-year-old Becky Higgin suffered a stomach upset during a holiday to north Africa - she put it down to bad luck and assumed she would feel better within a couple of days. But then the stomach pains got worse and she started having bad migraines
A MUCH-loved pet cat was lucky to escape a slow painful death after it escaped a snare in Poole. Ginger, a three-month-old tortoiseshell belonging to Michelle Jeanes, returned home to Belben Road with painful injuries and a snare around her neck. Michelle
BJARNE Pedersen has admitted he is "worried" about his stuttering early season form. But he feels Pirates chief Matt Ford has jumped the gun by publicly announcing his "concern" over the issue. The Dane, who leads Poole Castle Cover in their home Elite
PIRATES boss Neil Middleditch believes Davey Watt deserves at least one Grand Prix wild card this season. The former Team Great Britain team manager also feels the Australian has earned a seeded place for next year's 2010 World Championship qualifiers
HEALTH service staff in Dorset are still working long hours and having to face violence, bullying and harassment from patients and their relatives, a report has revealed. Results of the latest annual Healthcare Commission staff survey show that while
A DISABLED woman who took part in London's chaotic Olympic torch relay has spoken of her disappointment after chaotic scenes broke out on the day. Wendy Morrell, who sustained a brain injury when a stray discus hit her as she battled for a place in the
A NEW night bus service is to be launched in Bournemouth in a bid to reinvigorate the night-time economy. Wilts and Dorset will start running the 24-hour bus service in June, taking clubbers and pub-goers from Gervis Place to Poole, Charminster and through
MARC Jackson is brimming with optimism about Cherries' future after his consortium was declared victorious in the race to buy the troubled club. Jackson originally appeared to have lost out to the rival bid fronted by Jeff Mostyn, as another day of Dean
JEFF Mostyn and Steve Sly will hand over the reins to Marc Jackson's consortium and have wished the new owners well in trying to bring "stability" and "success" to the club. In an emotional statement issued to the Echo late last night, Mostyn and Sly
