A COUNCILLOR is calling for fire safety checks at every residence in the resort following a spate of property blazes. Dorset Fire Authority member Phil Stanley-Watts is also appealing for public-spirited volunteers to help make more homes fire-proof.
A 74-YEAR-OLD former RAF pilot fulfilled a lifelong ambition with his grandson when they leapt out of a plane to raise cash for charity. Terry Adcock, from Colehill, and 19-year-old Mo Guy, from Corfe Mullen, did a 13,000ft skydive at Netheravon Airfield
A COUNCILLOR who slapped a political opponent in the face at an election count has refused to resign. Penny Jackman is facing calls to surrender her seat on Lymington and Pennington Town Council after her bust-up with UKIP candidate Mike Beggs
THREE major proposals for new supermarkets in Christchurch will be decided at a meeting in June. In the past few months, applications for three new stores have been submitted to Christchurch council and a special meeting of the planning control
Bournemouth’s Sacred Heart Church will hold a concert this week to raise money towards the £250,000 it needs for restoration and cleaning works. Shine, the Sacred Heart in Need Appeal, has been fundraising since last summer so that the church
TEENAGERS from a Dorset riding school have been praised for fundraising to replace stolen saddles used by a group of profoundly disabled people. Thieves gained access to a padlocked tack room at Stocks Farm Equestrian Centre in West Parley and stole
WORK to transform Boscombe Crescent is well underway, says Bournemouth Council. The council wants to transform the area, which has been well-known for drugs and vagrants, into an attractive public space. Ongoing work includes thinning
REOPENING the controversial Imax cinema was one of the options considered – and dismissed – by councillors as they pondered the building’s future. A council report reveals that a special Imax panel, whose meetings were not held in public
THE AA four-star Harbour Heights Hotel in Sandbanks, has appointed a new head chef. Clyde Hollett brings more than 15 years’ experience to a role which will see him heading a nine-strong team at the hotel’s two AA red rosette restaurant, Harbar Bistro
ANYONE who saw Florence Welch, pictured above, perform at the BIC last month will have been impressed with the quality of her show. This live album from the Brit-winning songstress and her band is a real treat for fans, and follows in the footsteps of
A CONMAN posing as a drainage engineer tried to trick his way into the home of an elderly Hamworthy woman. She became suspicious when he demanded £150 and managed to get rid of him from her doorstep. But the skinny offender, who spoke
It's an under-the-radar sort of program, is GBM. Easily mistaken for being just another tea time cookery show, suffering from comparisons with ITVs Britain's Best Dish - but it's quietly addictive, mainly because it's not about TV chefs but the
COMEDIAN and very much man of the moment Michael McIntyre will be coming to Wimborne for not one but two shows next week. After success at the National Television Awards, Michael McIntyre will merrily skipping his way to the Tivoli for two
IT’S nearly time to dig out the tent again from the garden shed and shake out your wellies, as this year’s three-day Upbeat Festival is back. Announced today is a selection of headline acts before the second Upbeat Festival opens its gates to the public
THE Winchester pub in the triangle area of Bournemouth has long since championed the local arts scene with frequent bands, plays and events. This week is no different, starting with the psychedelic sounds of the Dollyrocker Club tonight. Saturday
LAID back, dreadlocked singer/songwriter Newton Faulkner saunters along to the Old Fire Station on Thursday evening. The Brit-nominated guitar player is also expected to release a new album later this year. As well as playing his classic hits, Newton
A MOTOR launch used by Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge before their wedding has gone on sale in Poole. The royal couple were famously snapped frolicking aboard the 40ft boat, Tapeka Point, while holidaying in Ibiza in 2006.
TWO people escaped from their home unharmed after a tumble dryer fire at a flat in Bournemouth in the early hours of Thursday morning. The occupants were woken by their smoke alarm in the flat in Norwich Avenue at around 3.20am. Fire
THIS morning’s blaze at Green Island in Poole Harbour is now under control, according to Dorset Fire and Rescue’s incident commander Ben Ansell. Around 40 firefighters from six fire engines were taken to the island by boat to tackle the fire
THE man behind a scheme to open the first indoor skate park in Dorset says he is “ecstatic” after being given the green light by Poole planners. Before yesterday’s site visit and meeting, Tony Hill had been pessimistic about his chances of winning permission
A BOURNEMOUTH mum is putting her best foot forward by running in the London Marathon to help her son. Joanne Glass, from Littledown, is taking part in the event on Sunday for the first time to raise vital funds for the Cystic Fibrosis (CF)
LOCAL rockers Instill are making a statement of intent with latest EP, The Hooligan Factor. The four-piece unleash their new material on May 14 on Fudgeworks and hope to reveal the darker side of the music industry. “Today the music world is built around
WITH reference to the letter ‘Wasting recycling leading to drought’. I too wash out my tins and bottles and I do it by soaking them in the washing up water when I have finished washing up. This also enables the labels to come off easily and does not
ON the current hot topic of the Poole Bay wind farm, I must admit I am pretty neutral. I can see the “anti” argument when it comes to the high price, but as far as trying to kid us that we have a majority of days with no wind, who are they kidding?
WE see a lot of correspondence about litter in Bournemouth and the council’s responsibility to collect it. Undoubtedly, we are entitled to have litter collected since we pay our council tax. The reality, however, is that although the council employees
I AM sure some people will think I should mind my own business but if I were looking to redesign the centre of Bournemouth I would create a new, purpose-built theatre where the Winter Gardens were, having parking underground and to the sides. This
THE recent letter regarding litter louts urged me to write about my own area. Slades Farm in the daytime is a hive of activity with youngsters enjoying the skateboard park and cycling arena, responsible dog walkers, cyclists and families finding their
THE proposed destruction of the Imax shows a lack of both prudence and imagination at the Town Hall. Frequently the view is sighted, as a reason for destruction; odd this, coming from a Council that is clearly bereft of vision. The idea being mooted
HOW’S this for a Catch 22 situation? The residents of a block of flats haven’t had their rubbish collected for weeks – because there is too much rubbish in the way. Bournemouth council’s version of events differs from that offered by
A senior road safety officer has praised our coverage and called for a way for the public to report people who use a phone while driving after more than a quarter of readers in a Daily Echo poll admitted using a hand-held device at the wheel.
A ROW over rubbish has left Boscombe residents with a waste mountain on their doorstep. Residents of a block of flats in Sea Road claim they have not had a rubbish collection for several weeks, with the result that their bin store is now packed
WORRIED residents are demanding action to remove an encampment of travellers from a Poole car park. Vehicles pulled into Beach Road car park, at Branksome Chine, during Tuesday evening. On Wednesday, at least a dozen vehicles remained at the makeshift
A CHRISTCHURCH woman has told of her own false widow spider nightmare. Nicola Turnham, of Monkswell Green, was bitten three times by a spider that crawled onto her dressing gown as she hugged her cat. The 37-year-old said the bite felt like ‘lots of
FALSE widow spider bite victims of all ages have come forward to share their stories of agony. Little Morgan Rooke, 10, went to A&E after being bitten by the venomous spider as she played in the garden at her home in Poole. Morgan’s
BOURNEMOUTH debutant Kevin Painter claimed the BIC crowd had given him a helping hand – by heckling opponent Gary Anderson. Painter ended his run of five consecutive Premier League losses with an 8-4 win over the reigning champion last night. But he
SEAGULLS disability swimmer Alice Tai continued her rise up the Paralympic ladder with another collection of personal best times at British International Disability Championships in Sheffield. The 13-year-old Bournemouth Collegiate School swimmer
CORFE Mullen’s Sam Barfoot chalked up maximum points at the Poole and Parkstone Club’s Launcherley meeting last month. Barfoot won a tight tussle with Tyler Groves who was on his tail for most of the day. But Barfoot managed to keep Groves at bay to
DORSET star Lynnlette Aung clinched two silver medals at the National Badminton Centre in Milton Keynes. Lynnlette represented the county in the under-17 event held over two days last month. The 15-year-old played well in the earlier rounds and cruised
WESSEX’S junior men managed to avoid relegation as they defeated City of Bristol 3-1 to secure eighth position in National League Division Two. The drop looked a formality just three weeks ago, when the team was hit with a number of injuries and players
Wimborne Town’s under-13 girls will be looking to complete a league and cup double when they play Weysports United in the Dorset County Cup final at Canford Arena tomorrow (11am). The side head in to the game having utterly dominated the
FORMER professional star Tim Collier has revealed he is ready to dust off his boots in a bid to enhance Lions’ National League chances. The Bournemouth forwards coach has featured occasionally as a player since joining the club as part of David Dunn’
AFTER Raymond van Barneveld’s nine-dart finish in 2006, the BIC has almost become the spiritual home of the Premier League. Although the sheer popularity of the tournament may have outgrown the venue, the PDC and Sky Sports keep coming back to the seaside
PHIL Taylor versus Adrian Lewis – the legend against the reigning king. Organisers had saved the best for last and the big guns served up a fitting finale at the BIC. On another night of darting drama in Dorset, the excitement had been
KNIGHTON Heath junior Jack Baker has become one of the youngest ever winners of the Henderson Trophy at Dudsbury. The 14-year-old overcame two more experienced Ferndown players in the matchplay phase to lift the prestigious Dorset junior silverware
GEORGE Griffiths scored five goals as Boscombe Albion celebrated promotion from Division Eight of the Bournemouth Youth League with a 10-0 thrashing of bottom side Broadstone. Albion took the lead in the first half through Griffiths, despite Broadstone
LEVEL-headed international prospect Richard Galloway is vowing to keep his feet firmly on the ground as he aims to launch his rugby career. The Bournemouth Rugby Club teenager earned his first England caps when he represented the country’s under-16s
POOLE ten-pin bowling star Verity Crawley hit perfection on her way to a gold medal in the European Youth Championships in Denmark. The 17-year-old rolled her first ever perfect 300 in her first singles game in Aalborg and, despite tailing
BOSS Graham Kemp knows Christchurch are facing a win-or-bust clash against Moneyfields as the race to finish third in Wessex Premier reaches its conclusion. Fourth-placed Priory, who host Moneys at Hurn Bridge (3pm), are currently two points behind the
ALEX Baldacchino is keen to put down some roots and says he would consider dropping anchor at Poole Town. The 21-year-old striker is dual registered with no fewer than three different clubs – the Dolphins, Havant and Waterlooville and New Milton Town
BRUCE Scammell is hoping his successor can take Hamworthy United to the next level after announcing his decision to step down as chairman. Scammell, who has been associated with the Hammers for more than 20 years, is due to relinquish his position at
TOM Killick is adamant securing a lofty finish must be Poole Town’s aim – even if they would then have to rewrite the Southern League record books to win promotion. The Dolphins, already guaranteed a play-off place in Division One South & West, are targeting
