POLICE investigating a spate of reported handbag thefts from elderly people have issued an appeal for witnesses and information. Christchurch officers are investigating a total of five thefts, which are all said to have occurred between Friday, June
PEOPLE in the Bournemouth and Poole area are being asked to look out for an elderly man who has been missing from his home in London since last Thursday. Patrick Connelly has relatives in the area and family is desperate for news of the 83-year-old widower
WHAT is believed to be the biggest Falklands War commemoration held in Dorset will be staged on Saturday. Thousands of people will see veterans and servicemen, including the 40-strong Royal Marines band, march through Christchurch from 10am
BOURNEMOUTH Council is soon to begin a public consultation on licensing Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO). The consultation is due to start at the end of June and follows residents concerns at the spread of HMOs and problems associated with
A RAIDER carried out a suspected acid attack on a dog rescue charity’s van. Founder Jen Emery discovered every panel of her Comfycare van had been doused in a corrosive material. But the 45-year-old from Bournemouth said: “It looks awful
FIVE women from the Daily Echo will be stepping out onto Bournemouth seafront this week to take part in Race for Life in memory of a very special friend. Motors and property manager Annette Geyser will be joined by Donna Garner, Nikki Enock, Gemma Ball
AS the countdown to Bournemouth’s biggest ever food and drink festival begins, the town’s traders and civic leaders have unveiled plans for a historic launch event. The Bournemouth Beef and Ale Festival on June 22 marks the official start of
MP Conor Burns underwent an ultrasound and other tests yesterday after suffering stomach pains. He said he was kept in overnight at St Thomas’ Hos-pital, London, after his GP referred him to A&E on Tuesday. The Bournemouth West MP returned
See the foot of the story for our video of Harry at Sandbanks this morning FOOTBALL manager Harry Redknapp has said he is staying put in Sandbanks despite leaving Premier League club Tottenham. The former Cherries boss is looking for a new
A WARRANT has been issued for the arrest of Rogue Traders’ star Dan Penteado, who is wanted for alleged benefit fraud in Bournemouth. Penteado, who is Matt Allwright’s sidekick on the Watchdog show, is accused of receiving more than £24,000
POLICE are hunting a gang who attacked two men outside a bar in Bournemouth town centre. Violence flared outside Euro Change on Old Christchurch Road at around 11.30pm on Saturday June 9. Details of the unprovoked assault have just been released
A FAMILY had “a lucky escape” when they fled their burning home and a bedroom window then exploded due to the heat. They left their house in Fairfield Road, Wimborne, when their daughter realised a bedroom was on fire. Firefighters later discovered
POLICE made two arrests in Dorset for alleged offences related to possession of indecent images. It came as part of a national operation to help keep children safe from harm. Operation Tharsley was led by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection
PLANS to reopen Townsend School at a cost of £4.15m, to help meet the demand for primary places, in Bournemouth will go before civic chiefs next Wednesday. The council’s Cabinet will discuss a proposal to open a new primary academy at the former
A TOTAL of 1,200 “troubled families” in Dorset are to receive help to turn their lives around. The Government has revealed that every eligible council – including Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset – has agreed to run its Troubled Families programme
In recent weeks the issue of gay marriage in England, with regards to the Church of England, has been a very hot topic; dominating headlines and sparking debates all over, causing much offence to LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) groups the
PUPILS at Muscliff primary now have access to more technology thanks to the fundraising efforts of parents and the community. The school’s Christmas fayre raised more than £5,000, some of which has been used to buy 15 new laptops and a trolley for use
Scottish and Southern Energy last night apologised for intermittent power shortages that left 688 Verwood properties without electricity during parts of yesterday from 11am. A company spokesman said there was a fault in an overhead electricity
READY, steady, go! Ringwood will be transformed into a mini Monte Carlo next month for the 25th British Pedal Car Grand Prix. Sixty five teams have signed up for the nerve-shredding ride on July 15, which sees pedal cars shuttle round
IT will be D-day for supermarket developers today when councillors make a decision on three major foodstore schemes in Christchurch. Planning officers have recommended refusal for all three supermarkets citing the “significant” economic impact
I JUST wanted to make your readers aware that they should check their post carefully when it arrives. I recently sent my niece, who lives in Bournemouth, a birthday card containing a £20 note. Upon arrival, the card had already been opened and the
HAVING read the article in last week’s postbag concerning “Fining householders over bin timing” I am writing to say that I couldn’t agree more with this reader. The times of the actual collection of all my bins – black, blue and now green has varied
I TOTALLY agree with Matt Ford’s comments in the Echo; please BSPA (British Speedway Promoters Association) stop meddling with the rules each year as recent events prove that even the match referees don’t understand them. Please simplify for the future
IT IS said that the measure of the greatness of a society is the way it treats its most vulnerable members. I have worked for Dorset County Council for many years watching a systematic reduction in the amounts of care available to the elderly, many of
MY flabber is gasted, How on earth has Tesco managed to get a convenience store in Wallisdown road? I pass daily and find that with the pedestrian crossing within close proximity, vehicles are endeavouring to reverse out onto the main road. This is
FOUR years ago, Bournemouth council angered a lot of people by closing a primary school. Today, it faces a crisis in school places. A lot of babies were born in the year the struggling Townsend Primary closed. And now, in some areas, parents are
TICKETS for a free show for 10,000 people to welcome the Olympic Torch in Bournemouth will be available from 9am tomorrow. The two-and-a-half hour spectacular will take place by the Pier on Friday, July 13 and the highlight of the celebration
PARENT Anna Simons: “I am a parent of Emily in year 2 and Charlie in reception. I started coming in once a week to help out and fell in love with the school. I am now training to be a teaching assistant. I couldn’t ask for more from a school.” DEPUTY
NEW Forest hotel Lime Wood will be staging its first free live music session on Friday. Smoked and Uncut presents Live At is the second event staged by the five-star hotel’s parent company, the first being a successful free music evening at its sister
Heatherlands First School, Library Road, Parkstone, Poole. 01202 743918 Website: heatherlands.poole.sch.uk. Number of teaching staff: 20 Age range: 4-8 Pupils: 345 Ofsted report: “The curriculum is planned systematically
WORK is now under way on a long-awaited project to transform Parkstone’s Heatherlands First School into a primary for 630 pupils. Plans to create a three-form entry primary school by September 2013, include all-weather games pitches, double
AWARD-winning vocalist and songwriter Seal has announced a brand new UK tour that brings him to the Bournemouth Pavilion on November 5. His first tour in three years, the show will support the release of Seal’s new album, SOUL 2. The 49-year old pays
WITHIN a kick, a flick and a gancho we were instantly transported to the steamy and sultry world of the Tango. Strictly Come Dancing stars Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace are back at Southampton’s Mayflower theatre by popular demand with their sizzling
WITH the jubilee celebrations now all done-and dusted, plans are now going full-throttle for this year’s Camp Bestival. The action-packed family music festival is taking place at Lulworth Castle from July 27 to 29 and comes with a top musical line-up
DETECTIVES are trawling through CCTV footage as part of their investigation into the arson attack on a GP surgery in Poole. The fire broke out at the Neighbourhood Centre practice in Culliford Crescent, Canford Heath, in the early hours of
GEOFFREY Reed’s Boscombe flat was cordoned off yesterday for a fourth day of examination. Neighbours said the 57-year-old was a quiet man who lived in a ground floor flat with three other men and a woman. His flat is one of seven in
I’M just going to say it. My name is Samantha, and I don’t believe Lance Armstrong is a drugs cheat. Let me explain. I wrote the following piece before the start of the 2010 Tour de France. Since then, a grand jury investigation into doping
Police have launched a murder investigation following the discovery of human remains at a site near Lytchett Matravers. Yesterday a team of police and forensic officers cordoned off houses and woodland near Lytchett Matravers, north of Poole
IT was the best race of my Pirates career. Miracle man Chris Holder had the final say last night – both on and off the track. After scorching to the most mesmeric heat-15 victory seen in these parts for many a year, Holder was asked whether he had
DORSET captain Giles Legg was the county’s leading performer in the South West Amateur Championship on Tuesday. Legg staked a share of fifth place with rounds of 71 and 68 for a three-under-par total at Cumberwell Park in Wiltshire.
HARRY Redknapp has left Tottenham after nearly four years. The former Cherries boss agreed a severance package with chairman Daniel Levy last night. Redknapp had just 12 months remaining on his current deal and was keen to sign a new
