SWIM Bournemouth breaststroker Noah Vides twice struck gold when he made a spectacular international debut for England Schools in the annual WISE international in Dublin. The 14-year-old stormed to a comfortable victory in the junior boys’ 100m breaststroke
SENIOR Tour star Kevin Spurgeon is going back to his West Region roots to maintain his competitive edge. The Ferndown touring professional wants to fill the void left by the European Senior Tour’s two-month break. “I will play in next month’s Cornish
MORRISONS bosses have placed an offer to buy out Verwood Leisure Centre after years of talks. The plan is to expand the supermarket in Chiltern Drive and also build a petrol station. And East Dorset District council chiefs see the deal
A FRESH fundraising drive has been launched to keep one of the stars of Bournemouth Air Festival flying. The roar of the mighty Vulcan Cold War bomber has attracted thousands to the last two events. A spectacular sight in 2009, she still brought
ARTS groups in Dorset will continue to receive significant Arts Council funding, it has been announced. The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Poole’s Lighthouse both saw their settlements unaffected, despite a cut in the council’s national budget.
HIS recovery so far has been nothing short of phenomenal. And as the countdown for 2012 begins, Ben Clark’s ambitions of making the Paralympics are becoming ever more realistic. The 20-year-old swimmer, who has his sight set on the Olympic
THE mayor of Bournemouth has issued a telling-off to councillors over their behaviour as the local elections approach. His warning came after tempers flared at the March meeting of the full council. The mayor Cllr Barry Goldbart, who
DON’T know, don’t care. This was the overwhelming response from people in Bournemouth when asked about the alternative voting system. On Thursday May 5 the public has been invited to trundle up to the polling station and put a cross in
YOUNG Achievers from across Dorset were recently given the opportunity by Toastmasters International to improve their presentation skills before taking part in the Young Enterprise competition. The event, hosted by J.P. Morgan, was attended by
CYCLISTS gathered in Boscombe on Friday to show solidarity with those seriously injured when a motorist rammed a protest ride in Brazil. Riders met outside McDonalds before a ride to show their support for cyclists hurt taking part in a protest
LARGE crowds are expected to pack out Furzebrook Village Hall on Thursday for a crunch meeting on Purbeck’s proposed wind farm. Purbeck District Council planning board members have already ruled they are “minded to approve” permission for the
A SCHEME in which young offenders in Poole are sent on adventure trips to help mend their ways has been branded “crackers” by a former council children’s chief. While victims often find themselves too intimidated or scared to go out, troublemakers from
FEWER traffic police are now working in Dorset after their numbers were cut by a third, it has been revealed. The cost-saving measures have seen 18 of the force’s 54 traffic officers re-deployed to general policing duties – a 33 per cent reduction
POLICE are today continuing their investigations into a suspected crystal meth factory in Bournemouth. Methuen Close in Springbourne has been cordoned off while specialist officers wearing protective clothing continue their search of a flat
INVESTIGATIONS are still ongoing into the deaths of two firefighters killed while tackling a tower block blaze nearly a year ago, the Daily Echo can reveal. Alan Bannon, 38, from Southampton and Jim Shears, 35, from Poole died after being overcome
HIS legendary status on the pitch could soon shift to his cycling skills as former Arsenal and Scotland goalkeeper Bob Wilson makes the final preparations for his mammoth charity cycle ride. After months of training, Bob, who has a home in
ALTHOUGH the latest budget has not given us wine drinkers much to smile about, the first signs of sunny spring were certainly showing last week so why not toast to this positive change in the climes and try one of the following sparkling wine delights
A VISIT to Windy Castle, a ride in Miss Rabbit’s helicopter and even a jump in some muddy puddles. Visiting Peppa Pig World is just like stepping right into an episode of the ever-popular children’s TV show. The three-acre site, at Paultons Park in
DORSET residents are being warned about bogus calls concerning their council tax. Residents of Christchurch, East Dorset and North Dorset are being warned to be aware of a cold caller explaining that a £7,000 council tax refund is due to the customer
Pan-fried Paprika Chilli Salmon Serves 4 2tbsp oil 4 salmon fillets 3tsp paprika ½tsp hot chilli powder 2tsp mixed herbs For the sauce: 150ml reduced fat creme fraiche 1tsp horseradish sauce Drizzle of runny honey Blend the spices and herbs
AS A former British and world middle-weight boxing champion, Cornelius Carr suffered only four defeats (out of 39 matches) in his professional career. But the biggest fight of his life was when he was diagnosed with meningitis at just nine years old.
VICIOUS attackers left a man with suspected permanent damage to his eyes after a terrifying robbery in a dark alleyway. The 34-year-old victim was knocked unconscious and suffered serious facial injuries when he was set upon by two men in Boscombe
WELSH rockers Funeral For a Friend have had to reschedule their show on April 1 at the Old Fire Station to a new date on April 9, due to a family bereavement. Fans are advised to check the band and venue websites for the latest on tickets and for
HOW long does it take to change a dress? Marilina and her husband, Dragos from Romania completely change their outfits a dozen times in less than five seconds. This is one of the outstanding international acts in Jay Miller’s 2011 show, now in its 24th
“BOOM, brap, brap!” as hip-hop urchins N’Dubz might say. On the back of their fourth MOBO award and third album, N-Dubz make their first ever performance at the BIC on April 23. The tour is the first arena tour by any of the UK’s current urban artists
WHILST the plight of the long-standing allotment-holder can be understood, (March 28), let’s hope those who may lose their plots to new holders embrace their presence rather than starting ‘plot wars.’ It would be easy for a ‘them and us’ situation to
IT IS good to see Poole Council is finally recognising the need for more garden allotment plots in the area, in light of increased demand from residents. There are currently over 900 people on the waiting list and, as the council acknowledges, there
SO A councillor is calling for the piers to be privatised so they can ‘be transformed by privately-owned leisure operators based on the seafront to invest and create jobs.’ I am surprised that this is considered a good plan after the Imax debacle or
I THANK Mr Whitelegg for pointing out my error on the precise number of councillors. He is correct when he mentions the reduction from the former 77 councillors. However he fails to mention the Dorset Police Authority or the Dorset Fire Authority whose
THANK you Echo for spilling the beans over the appalling decision by councillors to abdicate their responsibilities in the cancellation of committee meetings and still expect to be paid. I applaud those councillors who have spoken out against this
Love is in the air for a pair of kingfishers at Weymouth Wetlands. The unmistakable bright blue and orange birds have been seen displaying signs of courtship in full view of the birdwatchers’ hide at the north end of the reserve at Radipole Lake
In response to Ruth Cooke’s letter (Echo, March 28), the alternative vote is exactly the remedy our democracy and our country needs. Turnout for young people has rapidly declined in recent years and the voting system is directly at fault. AV will mean
WORRIED residents concerned about the future of Christchurch Hospital packed out Christchurch council chamber last night to hear from hospital chiefs, with many turned away due to a lack of space. A public meeting held by the Royal Bournemouth and
HERE we go again. The town hall anti-dog brigade are on the march busy churning out more petty rules and regulations. In a time of severe economic restraint with services slashed and municipal amenities reduced it seems that Jobsworth can still find
HOW much more can we take? I opened our water supply bill to find that it has risen by 6.81 per cent. This is made up of 4.71 per cent for inflation plus 2.1 per cent on top. Presumably, when Ofwat set this formula they were not anticipating such a high
HAVING read the letters relating to Mrs Dingwall, there is a book called Horsewoman: The Extraordinary Mrs D, a biography of Louie Dingwall, Dorset’s racehorse trainer by Alan R. Bennett with a foreword by Brough Scott and was first published in 1979
THE news that there will be fewer traffic police on Dorset’s roads will come as welcome news to those drivers who feel it their divine right to break the law. Not wearing seat belts, rabbiting away with a mobile phone clamped to your ear, texting messages
A THREE-car collision closed one lane of the A338 near Blackwater junction this morning. Police and ambulance attended and one lane of the northbound carriageway was blocked. Traffic was backed up past the Cooper Dean flyover to Springbourne
POOLE lifting bridge is closed due to a broken down articulated lorry. The closure of the A350 Bridge Approach and Poole Bridge both ways between the B3068 Blandford Road and New Quay Road is causing heavy traffic in the area.
AN INVESTIGATION has been launched after “depraved” pornography was found on a mobile telephone bought for a seven-year-old child. Kevin and Kerrie Daynes purchased the £34.99 Sony Ericsson handset from Tesco so their daughter Chelsea could
STEVE Lovell marked the latest chapter of his return from injury with a goal, but then vowed to let his body rule his head. The striker turned in an impressive performance during Cherries reserves’ 2-0 friendly win at Reading yesterday, bagging the visitors
THEY say nice guys don’t win world championships. Try telling that to Mark Loram. Loramski is one of the most genuine guys on the speedway circuit. He has a friendly and laid back persona, both with fans and his fellow riders, which might have cost
MARK Loram has ranked the block-busting reception he received at Poole after winning the 2000 world title up there alongside his Bydgoszcz glory night. The curtain finally comes down on the former Pirates star’s distinguished racing career when he stages
FERNDOWN will stand still on today to remember its heroes. Three years ago the town was rocked by the news that Royal Marine Lieutenant John Thornton, 22, had been killed fighting in Agfghanistan. His sacrifice inspired a community project
