THE Daily Echo’s new book about Dorset’s past and present has been flying off the shelves in stores across the region and is now on the Christmas bestseller list.

Dorset Then & Now features 160 pages in which vintage pictures of the area are reproduced alongside photos of the same scenes today.

Toby Granville, group editor of the Dorset Echo and Daily Echo Bournemouth, said: “All our remaining stock is now out in the shops, so I would urge everyone to grab a copy while they still can.

“It’s the perfect Christmas present.”

The book was launched at Waterstones at Castlepoint last month and store manager James Headington predicted it would be a big hit.

He said: “It became one of our best sellers within the space of a week.

“As usual it’s a very good book. It wouldn’t be Christmas without an Echo book.”

The book is based on hundreds of photos sourced from the Echo’s own library and collections from museums and archives.

The cover and selected pages inside feature old photographs blended with new ones to give a fascinating look at how the area has changed.

Echo photographers took new pictures of the same spots, going to great lengths to find the nearest possible vantage point to the one used by the original photographers.

From the massive transformation of Poole’s town centre to unspoilt rural scenes, the book is a fascinating tour of miles and decades.