POLICE officers used during Top Gear filming in Dorset last month were paid for by the BBC, it has been confirmed. Three officers worked for around three hours when the stars of the hit TV show blew up a car on a Poole sliproad. Police were
THE Museum of Electricity in Christchurch has closed “indefinitely” with nine members of staff losing their jobs. An independent review found that the Bargates museum, set in an Edwardian power station, does not fulfil its visitor needs and has
A HIGHCLIFFE woman has won a prestigious national award for her work to raise awareness of domestic violence and mental health issues. Award-winning businesswoman Charlotte Fantelli, who founded the social network mentalhealthy.co.uk, was honoured
THOUSANDS of families in Ringwood have been left disappointed by the news that the Christmas parade will not take place this year. The annual procession through the market town was one of the highlights of the town's social calendar and always
A beautifully illustrated book produced by a well-known Poole artist is helping raise funds for cancer charities. Grandmother’s Simples is a tribute to Christina Hart-Davies’ best friend, Elizabeth Smail. They intended to create the book together
AFC Bournemouth has been granted a licence to carry out resurfacing works at Kings Park lorry park. Bournemouth council, which owns the site, has agreed that the football club can improve the site, which is currently in a poor state of repair.
A proposal for an Art Deco style retirement apartments building rising to 12-storeys on a former Poole convent, has been submitted by McCarthy and Stone. Their proposal for the former St Joseph’s Convent in Parkstone Road is for a mix of 57 assisted
WIMBORNE’S oldest pub could be transformed back into an inn if a planning application is successful. The Albion in the High Street, owned by Blandford St Mary company Hall and Woodhouse, is set to turn back into an inn with eight rooms for short-stay
SIGNIFICANT changes made to the benefits system next year as part of the Welfare Reforms are set to affect North Dorset residents. Those who receive housing benefit and have spare bedrooms in their home will see their payments reduced by 14 per
ONE of ITV's Dancing on Ice stars will unveil Bournemouth's first-ever outdoor ice rink on Tuesday. Introduced and commissioned by the Bournemouth Town Centre BID company and operated by BH Live, the ice rink will be set under the trees in the
STEVE Fletcher insists Cherries must go to Premier League Wigan determined to cause a shock. The Dorset side were paired with Roberto Martinez’s top-flight outfit in yesterday's FA Cup third round draw and will visit the DW Stadium on January 5
THE Sandbanks Ferry looks set to be out of action for an additional week as its biennial repaint and refit overruns. The ferry was tugged to a dry dock at Southampton at the beginning of November for a scheduled five-week maintenance programme.
A CHRISTCHURCH charity set up in memory of a young woman has bought new high tech equipment for seriously ill patients. Zoe’s Wish, set-up by Zoe’s parents, Paul and Jo Dunn from Burton, has donated a new medical monitor to the hospital where the
AN ANNUAL Christmas Swim in aid of Macmillan Caring Locally will take place on Christmas Day in Boscombe. The White Christmas Dip is an annual charity event held in Bournemouth and organised by Tom Baker and his family. This is the fifth year
On 23 November 2012, I went along to the House of Commons to take part in the UK Youth Parliament’s Annual Debate. I was joined by over 300 other MYPs and we all had an amazing time. It was an immense privilege to be involved in such a fantastic
DORSET Police arrested 1,053 children last year – a fall of 73%, the largest decrease in the country. Figures released today show the true picture of how many boys and girls under-17s were arrested between 2008 and 2011. They also reveal that
DOREST’s Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill has backed the government’s announcement to introduce a minimum price for alcohol. Ministers are proposing a minimum price of 45p a unit for the sale of alcohol as part of a drive to tackle
A £10million plant that would put Dorset at the forefront of waste recycling has been submitted for planning permission in Poole. The materials recycling facility (MRF) proposed for the Mannings Heath Industrial Estate would create up to 60 new
A CRACK house which has blighted the lives of neighbours for the last three months has been closed down by police. The flat, one of seven in a converted house in Hamilton Road, Boscombe, was being used by drug dealers to sell heroin and crack cocaine
AN INVESTIGATION into the death of a teenager in a car that crashed while being pursued by police has been concluded. Steve Brown, 18, from Verwood, was killed when the VW Golf he was in went over a hill, hit a tree and flipped on to its roof near
RYAN PETER DOMINEY aged 23 of Fairfield Way, Stevenage. Admitted theft of a handbag and its contents on Poole Quay. Community order made to have treatment for drug dependency under direction of Hertfordshire Drug and Alcohol Recovery for nine months
THOUSANDS turned out for Christmas festivities across Dorset at the weekend. Christmas lights were turned on in Christchurch, Westbourne, Swanage, Wimborne and Corfe Castle on Saturday by a host of special guests including panto stars, torch bearers
CROWDS lined the streets in Christchurch on Saturday to catch a glimpse of Father Christmas and his trusty reindeer. The town’s annual Christmas Festival took place throughout the day along the High Street and throughout the town centre with musical
FESTIVITIES marked the beginning of Christmas in Wimborne at the weekend. Crowds of people turned out for the annual yuletide celebrations in the town, which kicked off with carols around the Christmas tree in the new Square. And the event
KEVIN DEREK RICE aged 31 of Headswell Crescent, Bournemouth. Admitted driving a Nissan on Longfleet Lane, Poole without third party insurance. Fined £360. To pay victim surcharge of £15. Costs of £35. Licence endorsed with six points. TAHER KHALEL
A DORSET mum is celebrating the birth of her a baby boy more than 10 years after her first son was killed. Ryan Franklin was just two when he was killed by his father Lee Kahir in May 2002, and his inspirational mum Cathy, who is engaged to partner
THOUSANDS lined the Broadway in Broadstone to see the biggest ever Christmas Parade in its 43 years. The procession was made up of 30 groups with a polar bear outfit, a huge Christmas tree, penguins and people wrapped up as presents among the 30
WESTBOURNE came alive with a day of joy and festivity as the Christmas lights were switched on. A Magical Westbourne Christmas saw crowds of people on the streets to watch the fun, which kicked off with deputy mayor of Bournemouth, Cllr Chris Rochester
I HAVE been concerned for some time – long before David Cameron’s plea in October – that the Great War should be commemorated in 2014. This will be the last main anniversary date that will hold any meaning for people living. There is a great danger
WHY do people’s ideas nearly always include exploiting animals or creatures? This new idea near Bournemouth seafront at Durley Chine of the Butterfly Farm is another exploitation. Butterflies should be free to explore and do as they please
I WAS wondering whether there is a record for the length of time a celebration balloon has stayed inflated. My son has just celebrated his 15th birthday and the balloon he had given to him on his birth is still fully inflated. Is this a record
NEXT to my house is a narrow space with enough room for a small car. The back wheels just meet up with the pavement so is visible from the road. On Sundays my daughter drives to Wallisdown to collect her two year old grandson plus her son and his
I HAVE just read your opinion on the fine for double line parking by a gentleman Mr Steve Paddon (Daily Echo, November 5) and his positive kindly help to a 75-year-old pensioner re his accident in a mobile scooter. How I do thoroughly agree with you
Apparently we'll be seeing a lot more "ugly" veg in our supermarkets this year as stores agree to stock produce that doesn't meet the visual standards required of our carrots and parsnips. The very wet summer means a lot of British produces is
ONLINE retailers are braced for their busiest day of the year as consumers take part in the annual pre-Christmas shopping spree dubbed Cyber Monday. Recent years have seen online shopping figures consistently peaking on the first Monday in December
We've not written about this year's Masterchef: the Professional yet at Taste (although we are over the moon to have Monica and Michel back on our TV screens.) But we thought you'd like to see this.
SHOPPERS should be vigilant and take simple steps to avoid becoming a victim of crime this Christmas. Police in Dorset are reminding people not to carry large amounts of cash around with them as they tackle the festive shopping. Speaking today
AROUND 80 jobs will be created by an £800,000 transformation of a Bournemouth bar, according to its operators. The former Sherbets Lounge in Old Christchurch Road is being overhauled by Inventive Leisure as both a Revolution Vodka bar and a Revolucion
A POOLE soldier, who lost both his legs in a suicide bombing in Iraq, has received no compensation for his life-changing injuries. Corporal Neil Heritage, 32, was working with the 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Regiment at Camp Dogwood, south
BOURNEMOUTH, Poole and Christchurch have been invited to compete for a ‘City Deal’, which carries an incentive of devolved powers and extra funding. The area is one of 20 included in the second wave of City Deals, which are designed to kickstart
MORE than half a million pounds raised for Royal Bournemouth Hospital’s Jigsaw Appeal has gone on management fees, fundraising costs and investment losses. Between 2006/7 and 2011/12, a total of £2,199,685 has been raised for the appeal, which
CHERRIES’ FA Cup talisman Wes Fogden is vowing to keep working hard as he bids to make an impression on manager Eddie Howe. Fogden marked his first start under Howe by netting Cherries’ opener in their FA Cup second round triumph over Carlisle.
BOSS Eddie Howe insists Cherries’ FA Cup exploits will act as a spur – and not a distraction – to their hopes of winning promotion from League One. Howe piloted Cherries into the third round of the competition for the first time in eight years
DORSET golf sensation Georgia Hall could follow in the illustrious footsteps of Wayne Rooney, Andy Murray and Tom Daley after being nominated for a prestigious award. The Remedy Oak star is among the 10 contenders on the shortlist for the BBC Young
TOM Killick is confident surprise package Luke Burbidge will continue to boost Poole’s promotion bid and insists: “He has been a revelation.” The ex-Cherries trainee took the plaudits after helping Dolphins strike a blow in the race for Southern
LESS than six weeks ago, Bashley looked destined for a season of struggle. A 3-0 reverse at Wimborne Town in the Red Insure Cup saw Frank Gray’s men exit their fourth and final cup competition of the season while being precariously positioned just
BOSS Steve Cuss urged Wimborne to consistently maintain their performance levels after claiming they had more than matched the league leaders. Cuss praised his Magpies team despite their 3-1 home defeat against Division One South & West pace-setters
MANAGER Ken Vaughan expressed his gratitude to Tom Killick for allowing Poppies to dual register Poole Town frontman Karim Lammali. Vaughan was speaking after strikers Lammali and Martin Warren had both netted twice in a 4-1 Premier Division win
