Cherries have today sold Rhoys Wiggins to League One rivals Charlton Athletic for an undisclosed fee. The left-back had made no secret of his desire to leave Dean Court and had looked set to join Watford after the Hornets had a bid accepted
A SPECTACULAR, action-packed, fun-filled event is promised at one of the south coast’s best summer sporting and social events, the British Beach Polo Championships. Now in its fourth year on the golden sands of Sandbanks, Poole, the two day event on
OFFICERS travelled to Nike in America in a bid to identify the bloody footprints left in Heather Barnett’s flat by her killer. A Nike expert, who appeared as a witness in the OJ Simpson trial, revealed the footprint belonged to a pair of Nike
WORK on an innovative scheme to combine three council offices in Ringwood will start next week. The Ringwood Gateway, a new public services hub in the heart of the town, will bring together the services of Ringwood Town Council, New Forest District Council
THE man who spent five years heading the Heather Barnett enquiry and who was more than anyone the nemesis of Danilo Restivo, has expressed his relief at the outcome. Former Detective Superintendent Phil James was head of the Major Crime Team from 2002
BOSS Lee Bradbury finalised the signing of Steven Gregory and then tipped the midfielder to thrive at Dean Court by playing the Cherries way. Bradbury insisted his new recruit had the potential to become a key man after he joined the League One outfit
MORE than a third of the population of the South West is on the NHS organ donor register – the second highest proportion in the UK after Scotland. The average for England is 28 per cent, while the lowest proportion of potential organ donors is in the
THE killer of Heather Barnett will die in prison. Danilo Restivo looked on without emotion or reaction as Mr Justice Burnett told him: “You are a cold, depraved and calculating killer. There is no mitigation in this case and in my judgement
A CHARITY night at Funnybone Comedy Club in Westbourne raised plenty of chuckles… and £5,000 to buy a special wheelchair for a disabled youngster. Local youngster Jamie Kelly suffers from Duchenne muscular dystrophy and, despite his condition, he leads
DETECTIVES were so concerned about Danilo Restivo’s behaviour in Bournemouth they warned all those close to the killer to stay away. Det Supt Phil James and Det Supt Mark Cooper make a risk assessment based on police intelligence of Restivo and issued
DORSET Police used BBC1’s Crimewatch show to help solve Heather’s murder. A full reconstruction of the day she died was aired on the show in September 2006. The 10-minute slot was one of the longest and most detailed items ever featured on the programme
DAREDEVIL Ada Newman loved every minute of her tandem skydive as she jumped out of a plane at 13,000ft and fell earthwards at 175mph. Nothing unusual in that; many people take the plunge to raise funds for charity – but not usually at the age of 89.
“YOU have to understand the capacity of Danilo Restivo for lying. So quiet, so inoffensive, but a criminal who is very able, very clever, very careful.” That’s the view of Italian observer Pierangelo Maurizio who has studied Restivo at close quarters
ON the second day of the trial, shortly after completing his day and a half opening of the prosecution case, Michael Bowes QC was huddled with members of his team and police officers outside court two. As he delivered his opening speech Bowes did what
I’m sure you all know - I’ve mentioned it quite recently - that this blog is supposed to be all about the best thing I’ve cooked in the last week. Well, if it wasn’t for salvation in the form of a rather elusive Beef “Red Dragon” & Aduki Bean
A MAN in training for a gruelling triathlon has spoken up for the much-maligned boom at Poole’s Dolphin Swimming Pool. Stephen Bodman was staying in Poole and visited the pool as part of his training for the Liverpool Triathlon, which took place last
MOMENTS before QC David Jeremy opened the defence case for Danilo Restivo last Monday he told a young member of his team training to be a barrister: “You will never see a day like this in court again.” At times during the day he conducted
BOURNEMOUTH based The Funky Little Choir are hitting the high notes with their concert at the Regent in Christchurch. The choir returns with a brand new concert at the Centre on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 July at 7.30pm. The Funky Little Choir
BOURNEMOUTH West MP Conor Burns is campaigning for funding to allow local schoolchildren to visit the Olympic Park in London. He has written to Lord Coe about his concerns that visits to the site may only be available to youngsters from London schools
HUNDREDS of cyclists will be flooding Dorset’s roads this Sunday as the 23rd Macmillan Dorset Bike Ride takes to the highways. Motorists are urged to watch out for two wheelers, as they leave Corfe Mullen recreation ground between 8am and 11am and head
Gildo Claps is angry because he claims Restivo had accomplices who helped him cover up his killing of his sister Elisa, enabling him to kill again, writes Paula Roberts. Speaking exclusively to the Daily Echo, Gildo said: “I have never given up because
THE Heather Barnett inquiry was the most extensive, complex and sustained investigation ever carried out by Dorset Police. Officers scoured the globe seeking new experts and forensic tests for a breakthrough. They reignited a shelved
SHE was fun and feisty with a wicked sense of humour. A very hardworking, single mum, devoted to her two children, she would do anything for anyone. That was Heather Barnett. ‘Bunny’ as she was known to her friends and family,
A WILDLIFE trust has become one of the first organisations to vaccinate badgers against bovine tuberculosis. Farmers and badger supporters across Dorset, one of the worst-affected areas in England, will be watching closely as a vaccination trial funded
IT was in 2004 that the Daily Echo exclusively broke the story that Heather Barnett’s death was linked to the then disappearance of Elisa Claps. On June 16 the paper splashed with the front page lead ‘Murder Hunt Moves To Italy’. The story made the
This has been one of the most intensively covered trials in UK legal history, thanks to the Daily Echo’s Twitter feed. Echo reporters Andy Martin, Paula Roberts and Steve Smith have between them covered every day of the case, sending out dozens
SIX-TIME Challenge Tour winner Lee James is hoping to renew his acquintance with Europe’s second-tier competition next month. James has made a written request for an invitation to play in the English Challenge at The Stoke By Nayland Hotel Golf and Spa
Roquefort, Pear and Chicory Salad with Walnut Oil Serves 2 2-3 heads of chicory, separated into leaves and put to soak in iced water 100-125g Roquefort, crumbled 1 large, ripe pear, peeled and thinly sliced Squeeze
“IF growing up means it would be beneath my dignity to climb a tree, I won't grow up, never grow up, never grow up, not me.” So said Peter Pan, but it seems more and more of us are following that second star to the right, straight on ’til morning and
HAS evil Danilo Restivo claimed the lives of more than two innocent women? And was he responsible for the murder of South Korean student Jong-Ok Shin four months before he killed Heather Barnett? Speculation has been rife on the internet
THOUSANDS of schoolchildren have the day off today as more than 150 schools in Dorset and the New Forest close or partially close during the pensions strike. Geoff Cooke, picture below, Dorset head of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), said
I WISH to publicly offer my thanks, and great appreciation, to the doctors and all ward staff, at the Stroke Rehabilitation Unit in Christchurch Hospital who cared for my mother, Gladys Clark, during the last days of her 103-year-long life.
I WAS both sad and angry to learn from your report in the Echo of June 24 that thieves had yet again stolen lead from our Old Poole Lifeboat Station. However, I was not surprised, as the building is in such a poor state, it gives the impression that
AN OPPORTUNITY arises for councillors to improve our road conditions and create more places for parking by moving to introduce by-laws to prevent the permanent positioning of cars placed on our roads with ‘For Sale’ notices, price, mileage etc. Oxford
I HAD to write after reading Jeremy Miles’s review of the Ringo Starr All Starr Band concert at the BIC (Daily Echo, June 27). As the name of the band suggests, this was not just a Ringo Starr concert but an all-star band concert. If Mr Miles knew a
REGARDING Tobias Ellwood (“Good hiding jibe was said in private”, Daily Echo June 28): Taken out of context, eh? By one of his own group or by being overheard (therefore loud enough). What is in the heart comes out through the mouth. He thought it
I HEAR that the county cannot afford to pay a small annual amount for school crossing persons. And schools have for the most part refused due to lack of funds. The county is considering closing libraries, day centres for the elderly and are not filling
WELL, Dorset Library Services have had over four months to come up with a proposal to reduce their budget in time for 2012-2013 and they still persist in looking at options that will close a number of rural libraries despite being shown an alternative
WHAT kind of monster must he be? Danilio Restivo has not been tried for the killing of Elisa Claps in Italy but the evidence before the jury at Winchester, where he was found guilty of killing Heather Barnett, showed that the deaths of both women were
DURING the Dorset County Council budget cuts, large amounts are being sliced out of the library service. However, there are four options on the table about how to achieve those cuts. On the apparently preferred option B, it seems as ever the small rural
GAS roadworks on Blandford Road/Gwenlyn Road, Upton, Poole: For as long as I can remember we’ve had occasional fiddling by Southern Gas Networks at the above junction. One-way traffic lights, cones and barriers were installed but there are
ON the steps of the court, Heather’s sister Denise, paid tribute to everyone who had helped catch and convict Danilo Restivo. “Over the eight long years waiting for someone to be charged with Heather’s murder, our greatest fear was that the killer would
ITALIAN national Danilo Restivo did kill Heather Barnett. The 39-year-old was yesterday convicted of the murder of the 48-year-old mum-of-two. The jury of seven men and five women took five hours to reach their unanimous guilty verdict
FIRE fighters from across Dorset and Hampshire are battling a large fire at a house in Fordingbridge. Crews from Fordingbridge, Ringwood, Burley, New Milton, Dorset and Salisbury are in attendance at the fire in Fryern Court Road, Tinkers
CHERRIES are today hoping to finally clinch the signing AFC Wimbledon midfielder Steven Gregory – with one in and one out at Dean Court. The ongoing saga regarding Rhoys Wiggins is also expected to be resolved with the wantaway defender set to complete
PLANS to make squatting a criminal offence have been branded “absolutely appalling” by a Bournemouth homeless campaigner. The proposal to criminalise squatting in England and Wales has been announced by David Cameron as part of his wider toughening
RARELY could Pirates have needed their star triumvirate more than last night. In amassing a crucial 39 points, they did not disappoint. Hit hard by the absence of leading reserve duo Renat Gafurov and Christian Hefenbrock, the Elite League
FRUSTRATED Martyn Thompson was left to rue a poor finish to his first round that led to a loss of confidence as he failed to qualify for his third Open championship. The Parkstone professional missed two short putts as he dropped three shots
NEW recruit Darryl Flahavan is gunning for the Cherries number one spot after spending a frustrating season kicking his heels at former club Portsmouth. Flahavan this week completed a free transfer move from Fratton Park and penned a one-year
