IT looks like Pirates will be lining up in the Elite League again next year after club owner Matt Ford admitted in his programme notes tonight that he felt he had unfinished business to attend too in 2010. Ford also revealed he was in talks
POOLE’S young people called for more positive representation in the media at a lively youth conference yesterday. The perception of teenagers was just one of the topics discussed at the Voice It event at Poole Lighthouse. Organised by the Poole Youth
PETROL prices yesterday hit their highest so far in 2009, according to the AA. Businesses fear the rises could continue to rise as the busy Christmas season starts. The cost has gone up because speculators are moving their money out of the weak US dollar
Two companies have been invited by Gillingham Town Council to bid for the project to replace the decaying pavilion at Hardings Lane recreation ground. It is hoped £120,000 in Sport England cash can be secured.
CASTLE Court prep school in Corfe Mullen will open its doors to the public on Thursday November 5. Students will give tours of the school and prospective parents will be invited to join the head teacher for a cream tea. The event starts at 2.15pm.
BOURNEMOUTH students are among those still waiting for grants and loans more than a month after starting university. Nearly 150,000 young people across the country are still waiting for their cash despite repeated requests to the Student Loans Company
THE film Dead Man Running, starring 50 Cent, Danny Dyer and Oscar winner Brenda Blethyn, was due to open on Friday, October 30. And one man who will be particularly pleased to see his name up on the big screen is personal trainer Kris Cann,
UPTON Junior School is celebrating after being upgraded to “good” by Ofsted after its latest inspection. For the past two inspections, carried out every three years, the school had been judged as “satisfactory.” But now, under the leadership of head
WAREHAM’S hotly-debated pedestrian level crossing, which has been named as the most dangerous in the south west, has forced its way onto the parliamentary agenda. Transport minister Chris Mole, speaking during a House of Commons adjournment
OVER 300 people packed into Sturminster Marshall Memorial Hall to hear about plans for gravel extraction at White Mill. It was the second meeting about the plans, organised so that MP Robert Walter could hear the concerns of residents. Last year land
A LITTLE magic sparkled at a play session for children with special needs, as a therapy pony made his first reappearance at work after the ordeal of being stolen. Now aged 18 months, Magic the miniature pony was stolen from a paddock near his home at
FEARS are growing for the welfare of a missing man, prompting police to renew an appeal for help finding him. Stephen Clark, of Puddletown Crescent, Canford Heath, Poole left his house at noon on Monday (October 26) following a family disagreement
LAGAN Farms has won planning permission for a “soft play” area at Orchard Park, Gillingham. Farm bosses asked the town council for support and councillors have backed the funding appeal to regional government.
AFTER nine years in storage, Poole’s precious D-Day plaque is finally back on permanent display. The colourful Poole Pottery plaque was hoisted into position on the Dolphin Quays building on Poole Quay on Wednesday, October 28. The metre
HOSPITALITY and Food students from Bournemouth and Poole College were presented with awards at a recent ceremony. Winners ranged from the most competent students to those showing outstanding performance or improvement throughout their course. The event
THIEVES stole pink doors off a van in the Sandford area of Wareham. Both doors were taken from a pink Ford Escort van outside Heathfield Court in St Martins Road between 10.30pm on Monday October 26 and 6am the following morning. The doors are pink
ARTWORK using natural items gathered from Purbeck’s heathland and beaches has gone on display in Swanage. The work, by Bournemouth artist John House, represents fossil forms and his exhibition runs until November 15 at the new arts venue Totally
IT WAS definitely more treat than trick as Purbeck schoolchildren celebrated the end of term with a spooky tuck sale. Pupils at Yarrells School in Upton bought in sweets and baked cakes to be sold to raise money for Poole Hospital’s Wish List
LORD Phillips of Worth Matravers will be installed as Bournemouth University’s new chancellor next Thursday November 5. He is the UK’s most senior law lord and this month became the first president of the newly established Supreme Court of the United
A MAN from a Bournemouth kitchen firm has had a previous company wound up after customers paid £47,000 for kitchens that never appeared. Philip Hill, 47, who has a string of dissolved companies behind him, was found by the Daily Echo at the headquarters
A 39-YEAR-OLD woman has told of her terrifying late-night ordeal at the hands of a robber. The victim was forced to the ground and dragged along the pavement by a man who grabbed her bag as she walked along Christchurch Road in Bournemouth
A HEAD teacher charged with assault on the word of three children – one of whom had smoked cannabis that day – has been cleared. Eve Ritchie-Fallon has been suspended for a year since she being accused of slapping a teenage boy in the face
GIFTS, toys, tombola, Christ-mas cards, tea and home-made cakes are on offer at St Katharine’s church parish bazaar in Southbourne on November 14 from 2pm to 4pm. For further enquiries ring the parish office on 01202 418476.
A dedicated council worker has delivered housing benefit cheques by hand to save hard-up people missing out because of the postal strike. Catherine Preston, the Travelling Officer at North Dorset District Council, made deliveries to 17 addresses from
SAM Woodward has been appointed to succeed Graham Bassi as head coach of Bournemouth Dolphins. The 26-year-old has been acting head coach since his predecessor’s departure two months ago. Dolphins’ chairman Adam McCormack said: “Over the last few weeks
DORSET’S Nic Vaughan has followed up the European masters title he won in Spain last month with three gold medals and a silver at the World Masters Games in Sydney’s Olympic pool. One-time US Olympic swimmer Scott Carpenter was among the scalps claimed
BUSINESSES are being invited to take a stall a Christmas fair to raise funds for a Blandford pre-school. The Larksmead pre-school is selling tabletop space at its fair at the Corn Exchange on November 2 between 10am and midday. The pre-school is charging
BEST of friends Amelia Maughan and Courtney Rowan became the best of rivals at the England Schools Championships at Crystal Palace. The 13-year-olds emerged with gold and silver medals three times over after representing the Division Five and Division
BOSS Tom Killick is hoping Poole Town’s 2-1 victory at Totton & Eling on Tuesday could prove to be a watershed on Waterside. Goals from Stuart Brown and Steve Smith saw the Dolphins bounce back following their shock defeat by Totton’s neighbours Blackfield
DORSET’S Lee James remained upbeat despite a poor finish to the opening round of the Challenge Tour’s Grand Final in Italy today. James, who is currently 26th on the order of merit, carded a two-over-par 73 for a share of 21st place in the season’s final
UNDERAGE drinking in Blandford is to be tackled “head-on” in the lead-up to Halloween celebrations on Saturday. Blandford people have pushed the issue to the top of the policing agenda at meetings of the town’s Police and Communities Together
CUSTOMERS have dried up at a Boscombe public house since a major road scheme got under way on the doorstep. Chef Gary Walters arrives for work at the Portman Hotel contemplating another quiet shift. “It’s dead,” he sighs. “Friday
A CRASH on the northbound carriageway of the Wessex Way, near the Cooper Dean roundabout, has caused traffic tailbacks. Emergency services were scrambled at 1.51 pm on Wednesday following reports that two vehicles had crashed. Firefighters
GOOD Samaritans in Bournemouth are being targeted by a cruel trickster who is charging them up to £70 for parcels containing nothing but waste paper. The hoaxer rings unsuspecting residents to ask them if they will accept a parcel on behalf of a neighbouring
TEACHER Pauline Scott became queen of the catwalk when she took part in Breast Cancer Care’s London Fashion Show earlier this month. Fifty-seven-year-old Pauline, from Ferndown, was one of 24 models who took part in the event to help raise funds for
LEILA Sabra will come a step closer to being reunited with her missing daughter today when the embassy issues an order for the state police to find the toddler. A’ishah, two, went missing in May while on holiday with Leila (pictured) and her Bournemouth
A ROLL of Service, listing the 297 pupils from Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Wimborne who served in the First World War, has been unearthed in an old store room. It was discovered during a hunt for information on the history of Wimborne
An “early Christmas present” has been delivered to volunteers at a historic railway in North Dorset. Volunteers at the Shillingstone Station project received an unexpected gift of £1,000 from supporters, Jan and Michel L’Hours. The couple
AN OIL giant has been ordered to pay more than £10,000 after a major fuel leak threatened Poole Harbour. Chevron, which runs Texaco service stations, had ignored several warnings about a possible leak before the incident in October 2006.
GET active this autumn with a new campaign from the Daily Echo and Bournemouth council! We have joined forces to offer you massive leisure centre savings from Monday, November 2. All you need to do is cut out the ‘Active Autumn’ discount
FIONA Lanzino was just seven weeks’ pregnant when her husband died suddenly from an undiagnosed stomach abscess when they were living in Bermuda. “I was born in Bermuda so when I was 28 I decided to go back because I wanted to see what it was like,”
THE incredible increase in house prices has often made me think of the talks on topical issues that we were given in the Army, during the War (Homes costing 15 times income, Daily Echo, October 27). These started with an officer reading from an Army
Will Mr Bolland be retrained? If his quoted comments about illegally parked cars are accurate in their context, then his understanding of road safety clearly is not of the required standard for someone in his position. Lisa Hoerder, Avon
A COUNCILLOR has demanded to know why councillors were not informed of an investigation after pornography was found on a council laptop computer used by Bournemouth Council leader Stephen MacLoughlin. Addressing Bournemouth full council
WHAT a joy to see the return of an excellent daytime coffee bar at the BIC, overlooking the sea. It is better than ever. Will the swimming pool be next on the list for a welcome return? MRS P DURHAM, Surrey Road, Poole
THE recent Panorama programme on racial discrimination should serve to demonstrate to anyone thinking of voting BNP what this vile organisation really stands for. Behind the smart suits and smooth talk of Mr Griffin, they fully support the horrible scenes
I passed my driving test at the beginning of this year, and proudly drive around the area, enjoying the freedom and autonomy that driving provides. However, I am beginning to realise the number of qualified drivers that have little or no regard for
I am writing with regard to your article headed Illegal Parking Is “A Good Thing” (Daily Echo, October 26). Like many, I am astounded that a head officer for parking enforcement should respond in such a way, especially to a carer who may have to transport
I would like to add to the debate started by your article about the late Mrs Julia Green’s funeral costs, and insurance policies (Daily Echo, October 23). My condolences, of course go to Mrs Green’s family, and my sympathy for the undoubted
IF bad weather had not scrubbed the launch at Cape Canaveral on Tuesday, October 27, all eyes would have been on the rocket-testing technology that could eventually lead to a another manned space flight to the moon. All eyes that is, apart
RESIDENTS of Dorset enjoy some of the best NHS care in the country, according to the results of the latest annual health check by the Care Quality Commission. Four of the county’s trusts are among 41 in the whole country to score ‘excellent’ for quality
I DIDN’T dive. Nor did the Arsenal legend foul me. I just tripped down a step inside Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium... and looked a proper Charlie. Or looked up at a proper Charlie, to be precise. Charlie George. The Charlie George.
A TWO-YEAR-OLD boy will learn tomorrow whether a fall on a bus journey last week has broken his nose. Little Jayden Penney’s face was too swollen for casualty doctors to fully assess his injuries after the accident on the 1c service from Somerford
TWO local MPs, who might have to make their wives redundant, have dismissed reports suggesting “wife swapping” as a way to get around a possible ban on employing family members. An investigation being conducted by Sir Christopher Kelly, who
IT IS the most common cancer among British men and around 34,000 are diagnosed with it every year. Now Andrew Lloyd-Webber has become the latest high-profile celebrity to be told he has prostate cancer. The 61-year-old composer was diagnosed
A SECTION of the A31 westbound was partially closed for four and a half hours after a collision between a car and a bicycle at rush hour. A red Nissan Terrano car, driven by a 71-year-old man, and a bicycle were in collision on the westbound
HUNDREDS of motorists have received warnings after being caught on camera driving through King’s Park in Boscombe during bridge repair works on Ashley Road. While the two-month scheme is under way the park has been opened to single-decker buses
MORE than 500 serious sex offenders and violent criminals are being monitored in Dorset communities, according to figures released yesterday. There are 552 offenders who fall under the umbrella of Dorset’s MAPPA (Multi Agency Public Protection
KENNY Vaughan has masterminded Bournemouth Poppies’ climb up the Wessex League – but he believes a sustained title push could prove unrealistic. New-look Poppies, under the guidance of Vaughan and joint-manager Dan Neville, have been surprise
AARON Baseby has paid tribute to the “amazing team spirit” within the Buccaneers camp that he feels has underpinned their chase for a league and cup double. Bournemouth Castle Cover’s reserve also believes riding regularly in a winning team has helped
CHERRIES are facing a severe shortage of options on the left flank after the Football League blocked a bid to extend Anthony Edgar’s loan deal. The young winger has returned to parent club West Ham United, with Cherries’ attempts to retain
POOLE Town’s Wessex League title dream has been given a resounding vote of confidence – by former favourite Charlie Austin. The hotshot striker, who hit 64 goals in 57 competitive appearances for the Tatnam club, joined Swindon Town last month in a deal
