CHRISTCHURCH residents will be the first to try the new waste service as preparations to roll it out across Dorset take shape. As part of Dorset Waste Partnership’s (DWP) plans to co-ordinate services across the county, the new service will be piloted
EIGHT Purbeck district council seats are up for grabs in today's local elections. Voters across Purbeck are going to the polls in the wards of Lytchett Matravers, Lytchett Minster and Upton East, Lytchett Minster and Upton West, St Martin, Swanage North
THE coffers of the Youth Cancer Trust have been boosted to the tune of £5,000 thanks to a joint donation. Poole Lions Swimarathon presented a cheque to the Bournemouth-based charity, which offers holidays for young people with cancer, in conjunction
A BRUISE on Elliot Turner's left bicep was consistent with the application of a sleeper hold to Emily Longley, a trial heard today. Dr John Payne-James was giving evidence at Winchester Crown Court. He said the bruise could have been
THIRTY-FIVE Dorset beaches have been recommended for their excellent water quality in the latest edition of the Good Beach Guide. Launched today by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), the guide recommends a record number of UK beaches in its 25-year
A DISABLED man was cheered through Bournemouth and Poole on a 200-mile challenge in his wheelchair. Paul Smith was in a head-on car crash in Axminster in West Dorset back in 1991 and was not expected to survive as he spent 10 years “in a daze” and unable
A man who smuggled almost 80,000 cigarettes through five UK airports, including Bournemouth, has been brought to justice after he was tracked down by customs investigators. Teodor Petkov Tsonchev, of Barking in London, pleaded guilty to evading
IT was the hottest ticket in town with young chart fans across Dorset desperate to be there. And Rizzle Kicks' triumphant return to Bournemouth's O2 Academy didn't disappoint the enthusiastic and largely teenage crowd,. The Boscombe
WONDER Woman, She-Ra and Batman will be on the loose in Bournemouth Square on Saturday searching out fellow superheroes. They will be calling on like-minded people to join them on the Julia’s House Superheroes Night Walk on May 25. This is the children
THE number of cannabis farms and factories uncovered in Dorset has risen by a shocking 550 per cent in just two years. Police uncovered 93 farms – equivalent to 13 per 100,000 population – in the last 12 months compared to 15 in 2009/10. The increase
HEALTH Secretary Andrew Lansley is to open a £1m in-patient unit at a New Forest hospice. Mr Lansley will chat to patients at Oakhaven Hos-pice in Lymington and tour the new facilities, which have been partly funded by the Department for Health. The
A POOLE singer and musician has received a Royal thumbs-up after composing two new verses of the national anthem to mark the Queen's diamond jubilee. Roger Brooks, of Branksome Park, was thrilled to receive a letter of thanks from Buckingham
BOURNEMOUTH’S successful team of “street champions” has been expanded in response to popular demand. The champions – a team of cleaners with barrows – have won many friends amongst local traders, businesses, councillors and residents since
TWO Poole Hospital nurses are leaving their patients behind to launch themselves out of a plane. But the people they care for will not be far from the thoughts of adventurous Sarah Simmons and April-Grace Ashworth, who are raising funds for a charity
TAILBACKS have been reported near the site of a one-vehicle accident on the A31 at Picket Post. Traffic delays are expected to continue until an overturned car is moved from the eastbound carriageway. It is not yet known if anyone suffered
Paramedics checked over a woman in her 90s involved in a two car crash on the A31 at Ferndown. The A348 Ringwood Road was partially blocked following the collision, outside Halfords. The incident between a silver Vauxhall Astra and a
BOURNEMOUTH must reinvent itself and learn valuable lessons from other South Coast resorts if it is to survive in the 21st century. That’s the view of one of the town’s newest hoteliers following a warning that nearly a third of Bournemouth
A FORMER businessman took his own life at Poole Quay, where he had raised thousands of pounds for charity by serenading the crowds. An inquest heard yesterday how stalwart disability fundraiser Percy Toms, 81, had been found floating in the
LATER this month sees a rare opportunity to see Squeeze main man Chris Difford, one of the country’s most respected song writers. Appearing for a one off gig at Centre Stage in Westbourne, he will be supporting local theatre company and registered
A CHARITY that tries to stop young people falling into trouble said it urgently needs money otherwise it will fold. Creative Kids, which is based in Boscombe, lost its funding last year and needs around £2,500 to keep going. The charity is run by eight
FREE celebration events will be held in Poole to commemorate the arrival of the Olympic torch relay on Friday, July 13. The events at Turlin Moor and Branksome will give visitors the opportunity to take part in a wide range of free sports and
A HOUSING campaigner said it “beggars belief” Bournemouth Council has decided not to take enforcement action over a Dave Wells Properties (DWP) house. Lisa Northover reported 53 St Clements Road House as a House in Multiple Occupation without
There are a lot of contenders for nastiest judge on TV. Simon Cowell. That bloke who’s not on Dancing on Ice anymore. But for a masterclass in confidence-shattering, sneering contemptuousness, you need to be watching Richard Corrigan on this
TRAVELLERS have set up camp in one of Bournemouth’s busiest town centre car parks just days before the Bank Holiday weekend. Three caravans are taking up dozens of spaces on the upper level of the Winter Gardens car park, opposite the Royal
POLICE in the New Forest are appealing for help identifying two men after a deception at a Lymington bank. They have issued CCTV images of two men after the incident at Santander in Lymington on Monday, April 30, between 12.45pm and 1.14pm.
BOURNEMOUTH Trading Standards are warning Dorset residents against buying amber teething necklaces for their young children. The necklaces, which are designed to be worn by babies to soothe and calm them while teething, have been found to be
A DANCE teacher wants more parents of children with Down’s Syndrome to introduce them to the joy of moving to music. Kelly Shults, Principal of the Elite Academy of Dance in Ferndown, says they are the only school in the area to offer lessons
WHAT have meerkats got to do with a Dorset home watch scheme? It’s simples! Meerkat signs are about to pop up across West Moors, urging residents to take their inspiration from the community-minded animals. The idea behind the eye-catching publicity
A PENSIONER who is fighting for his life following a road accident in Charminster last month may have tripped and fallen into the road. Police have renewed their appeal for information after the collision at a crossing on Wellington Road at
MATTHEW DAVID ADAMS aged 26 of Kent House, Devonshire Road, Chiswick, London. Admitted damaging a corrugated Perspex roof panel to a property. Conditional discharge for 18 months. Costs £400. Also admitted to assault. Conditional discharge for 18 months
MARK ROBERT JOHNSTON aged 21 of Belmont Close, Verwood. Admitted assault. Fined £500, compensation of £250, victim surcharge £15 and costs of £75. Also admitted to damaging a door to the value of £210 belonging to Subway. Fined £155, compensation of £105
ANDREW PETER GUY CROWFOOT aged 32 of Drew Grange, Blandford Road, Hamworthy, Poole. Admitted assault. Community order made to be under curfew for four months at the above address between 8pm and 6am daily. Costs £100. STUART MALCOLM IRELAND aged 26 of
NEIL FRANCIS COOMBES aged 20 of Saxon King Gardens. Admitted failing to comply with a police constable to leave Fir Vale Road and not return for a period of eight hours, the constable believing that presence in that locality was likely to cause an alcohol
ON Saturday evening, April 28, my family and I spent a fantastic evening at Bentleys at Dudsbury Golf Club, celebrating my mum’s 70th birthday. We had our camera with us and took some lovely photographs, but unfortunately when leaving Bentleys and during
A WATER main has burst twice in three weeks in the same place, causing chaos on a busy Poole highway. Traffic has queued from the entrance to Turlin Moor at Blandford Road well over a mile through Upton to the bypass, at peak times. “The traffic is
YOUR Opinion of April 28 misses the point on two issues. Townsend School was closed in 2008 because it was failing to deliver an adequate quality of education. Its pupils were placed in other schools where their progress is monitored and their outcomes
ONE wonders what can be so confidential about the consultation between the local authority and the police regarding the decision to switch off street lights in some areas of Blandford between midnight and 5.30am (Police decline to release consultation
I WRITE in total support of the letter written by David H Wells of Merley regarding his views on the Imax centre. What a terrible waste to pull down this modern innovative building, surely a use could be found for this large expensive icon. I have
I WAS disappointed to read your editorial (Opinion, Daily Echo, April 26) about the demolition of the Waterfront building. I am only too well aware that we shall not please everybody no matter what we do, but the council have embarked on a solution to
SHOULD the Town Hall revert back to a hotel? (‘Convert Town Hall to hotel’ says landlord’, April 30) Would it be viable? If it did it would probably be a Premier Inn or Travelodge, a bed factory not a proper hotel. Recently my father-in-law wanted to
IT is an accepted fact that poverty rates in the South West tend to be lower than the national picture but there are substantial pockets of rural poverty. It’s also not a huge surprise that some urban areas face similar issues, Bournemouth and
BOURNEMOUTH council has rejected accusations that it is “failing its poorest children” by not taking basic steps to tackle child poverty. Research by the national family charity 4Children shows that Bournemouth has not published a child poverty
On a very wet and windy day members of Christchurch Central WI battled the elements to join other women around the world in support of ACWW’s (Associated Country Women of the World) “Women Walk the World”. The walk raised money in solidarity
AN exciting new chapter has opened in the history of a Bournemouth school for children with special needs. On April 1 this year Bicknell School, named in honour of much-loved former mayor, the late Bessie Bicknell, became the Tregonwell Academy. The
Parent and PTA chair Matt Fairbairn said: “Since Kate arrived the amount of staff and parent support has gone up and the school has improved no end. I would recommend it to anyone.” Cindy Harris, who has children in years 2 and 6, said: “We
Talbot Combined School, Talbot Drive, Wallisdown, Poole. 380 students aged four to 12 Ofsted report, April 2012: School taken out of special measures and judged to be satisfactory. Report said: “Inspectors observed good teaching whis is rapidly addressing
KATE Curtis is very passionate about Talbot Combined School and it is definitely catching. The new head of the bright and spacious Wallisdown school is determined to make it one of the best and only a fool would doubt she means business.
THE jury in the Emily Longley murder trial yesterday heard from a forensic scientist who examined a “face mask” print on a pillowcase found at the scene. Darryl Manners showed the court what he described as an impression of a “face mask” on a beige pillowcase
FIFTY is the new 30! If you agree with that statement then you'll want to check out Mid-Life Vices, the Daily Echo's new supplement. We've been talking to some of this area's most interesting and adventurous people. People who have chucked in the nine-to-five
A MAN subjected to a brutal unprovoked attack has bravely spoken out in a bid to catch his assailants. Jonathan Jones, 50, was walking his dog Chaz just yards from his Charminster Road flat when two men jumped out of bushes, beat him up and robbed him
RESIDENTS from a block of Boscombe flats had a lucky escape after a fire in the building in the early hours of Thursday morning. One resident who noticed the fire in the lounge of the first floor flat at Brooklyn Court, Christchurch Road, just after
BOSS Simon Browne insists Hamworthy United’s interests – rather than the Wessex League relegation scrap – will be on his mind tonight. Hammers will play a major role in deciding the fate of New Milton Town when they visit struggling Brading Town (7.45pm
THE world’s leading darts stars are set to shine again in Bournemouth after Premier League chiefs strongly hinted at a return to the BIC. Top players including Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis look likely to be back on the Bournemouth International Centre
PAUL Groves expressed his disappointment after confirming that Wes Fogden was set to spend up to six months on the sidelines. The Cherries midfielder could miss the start of next season as he is poised to have surgery on a shoulder problem. Interim
ANNIE Lush insisted Poole’s Match Racing team had gained valuable experience for the Olympics – despite a frustrating regatta in France. The Games medal contenders finished fourth at the World Cup event in Hyeres after strong wind heavily disrupted their
CHRIS Reeves is convinced Poole Town will be ready for the next level if they can complete their fairytale journey back up the non-league ladder. Dolphins are one game away from ending two decades of hurt – with Gosport Borough the final obstacle blocking
