FIREFIGHTERS in Dorset are reeling after new conditions were attached to the second half of their long-awaited pay rise. The possible changes could see firefighters lose their stand-down time during overnight shifts - meaning that, whilst previously they
A RECREATION ground that has been blighted by antisocial behaviour and crime is one of three Poole venues being considered for an alcohol ban. Residents of Branksome have joined forces with beat officer PC Ian Watkin to request Branksome Recreation Ground
BASHLEY ended a turbulent week in apt fashion as they slipped to defeat at Fisher Athletic, failing to take advantage of their nearest rivals' slip-ups. With internal strife seemingly rife at the Recreation Ground, chairman Mike Smith quit earlier in
LYMINGTON and New Milton manager Ian Robinson blasted the attitude of some of his younger players after they were forced to settle for a goalless draw at home to Thatcham Town. An insipid affair was Linnets' for the taking but their lack of desire left
THE return of defender Adie Briscoe from long term injury was a big plus as Bournemouth Poppies battled out a dire 0-0 draw in their basement battle with Whitchurch, writes James Morton. Briscoe has been on the sidelines with a persistent ankle injury
ANOTHER weekend, another victory for flying Brockenhurst as Graham Kemp's men took maximum points for the fourth consecutive Saturday with a tidy 2-0 win at BAT. The result against a tricky opposition, who have recently overturned title favourites Winchester
WEYMOUTH lost more ground on Dr Martens Premier Division leaders Crawley Town as they slipped to a surprising home defeat to Welling United. Top dogs Crawley eeked out a 1-0 win at Chippenham to go four points clear at the top after Steve Claridge's men
SWANAGE and Wareham maintained the pressure on Powergen South West Two East table-toppers Maidenhead following their 25-6 home success over Chippenham on Saturday. However, Maidenhead, who are two-points clear of the Swans, also won 46-25 at Wimborne.
PAUL WYKES failed to prolong his season when he suffered a 5-3 defeat to Scott MacKenzie in the second qualifying round of the £597,000 Players Championship at Prestatyn on Saturday. Wykes had secured his place on the professional circuit for a 14th successive
DORCHESTER Town slipped further into the Dr Martens Premier Division relegation mire after suffering their seventh consecutive away league defeat at rock-bottom Chelmsford City. A goal in each half gave the Essex side a rare but deserved victory against
DORSET'S leading contender Kingscliff is out of Thursday's Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup. The Robert Alner-trained seven-year-old had been 10-1 second favourite for chasing's blue riband event behind Best Mate. However, a recurrence of a muscle problem suffered
A CONFERENCE Two play-off place is fast becoming the best Dorchester can hope for after bottom club Chelmsford City dished out their seventh straight away defeat in the Dr Martens Premier Division. The Magpies slipped to second-from-bottom after crashing
A CONFERENCE Two play-off place is fast becoming the best Dorchester can hope for after bottom club Chelmsford City dished out their seventh straight away defeat in the Dr Martens Premier Division. The Magpies slipped to second-from-bottom after crashing
CHANCELLOR Gordon Brown's feared Budget plan to cash in on rising property prices with extra taxes "sets a dangerous precedent," warn accountants ahead of Wednesday's Budget. The government is considering a tax crackdown on parents gifting their homes
SKIPPER Magnus Zetterstrom led by example as Poole RIAS Pirates defeated Premier League opponents Newcastle Diamonds, 49-41, at Brough Park. Zetterstrom dropped just one point in five outings, when he was beaten by Diamonds' guest Carl Stonehewer, who
A MOTHER is hitting out at psychiatrists for prescribing powerful drugs to her five-year-old child. Rachel Rushton, 33, says the diagnosis that led to the prescription was flawed because the condition just doesn't exist. And her family doctor agrees.
SIX women.....six stories.....one common thread.....a hilarious look at motherhood. (20.3) After three record-breaking tours and a West End run, this award-winning, sell-out theatrical phenomenon is on its fourth national tour in two years and opens at
ALMOST 70 per cent of people in Weymouth and Portland are in favour of scrapping the council tax. That is the claim from a Liberal Democrat borough councillor who says his activists have surveyed up to 500 homes in the borough. Coun Brian Ellis said he
AN ENTREPRENEUR is hoping to bring the liberalism of Amsterdam to Weymouth with a cannabis caf. Vic Hamilton wants British law changed so that cannabis can be sold to adults in licensed premises. And he wants tax raised from legal sales of the drug to
A RETIRED lorry driver from Ringwood who was last in London 12 years ago has received a £100 ticket for driving in an Edgware Road bus lane. Arthur Joy believes the car caught on camera had a cloned number plate. Mr Joy and his wife, Margaret, were at
SALVATION Army members in Fordingbridge are celebrating after getting the go-ahead for a badly-needed new hall. New Forest district councillors gave the green light to plans to demolish the existing 60-year-old wooden building in Roundhill and put up
HORRIBLE weather conditions failed to deter spirits at a charity ploughing match in the New Forest. Out of 80 entrants 75 showed up on the day despite pouring rain and freezing temperatures. The event which took place at Plumley Farm at Harbridge near
A DORSET town council is appealing for help after historic yew trees were professionally chopped down from a local graveyard. At least two yew trees and other bushes were removed from Blandford cemetery last weekend in what town council chiefs say was
BIG Derek Holmes has relived the agonising seconds when he was thwarted from giving Cherries their first away win for more than five months. Holmes was denied by a breathtaking save from Grimsby goalkeeper Alan Fettis during Cherries' 1-1 draw at Blundell
A JUDGE declared war on the "disgusting" world-wide internet paedophile trade after jailing a Poole businessman for possessing thousands of pornographic pictures of children. Perverted Colin Sharp admitted 17 specimen counts of possessing indecent photographs
DOZENS of international students gathered for a silent vigil in Bournemouth Square as a mark of respect to the victims of the Spanish bomb blasts. The flag of Spain was laid on the ground and flowers and candles placed upon it before the students held
ANYONE who has spent time stuck in traffic jams along Bournemouth's Castle Lane has probably wished more than once for an alternative way of getting to work or back home. One does exist, but only on paper. And the cost of turning it into reality is, say
BOURNEMOUTH'S booming pub and club scene attracts tens of thousands of young people to the South Coast every weekend. With a nightly capacity for 35,000 tipplers and more licensed premises per square mile than Soho, the resort has well and truly ridded
PURBECK District Council is launching a publicity campaign to encourage residents to recycle their household waste. In a campaign funded by the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) the council's kerbside recycling team will be
CAMPAIGNING residents in Sandford have launched a bid to secure listed building status for Sandford Church near Wareham. They fear the nineteenth century building could face possible demolition depending on what decisions are made on the future of the
ARTISTS Eustace Nash and Leslie Ward were familiar figures in the Bournemouth and Poole area during the 1950s and 60s. (2.5) Friends, colleagues and indefatigable enthusiasts for the Dorset area, they made countless drawings, paintings and etchings of
Oaklea, Kings Lane, Woodlands, Wimborne; 3/03/1508, double garage, rear dormer with projecting balcony, new access, manege, additional stable, block comprising of hay store, two stables, tack room and play room; Fraser Development, 8 Dean Swift Crescent
A FRAIL pensioner has spoken of his "disgust" after he had his electricity supply switched without his knowledge. Jack Whitmore, 74, said he agreed to take part in a customer satisfaction survey with a sales agent who called at his home in Legion Road
A BALLERINA who honed her talent at a dancing school in a community centre has matched the professional heights of those trained at vocational ballet schools. Tina Marsh, 24, has landed herself one of the 12 roles in the Vienna Festival Ballet's touring
CONTROVERSIAL plans to end free bus travel for pupils at Poole's grammar and church schools have divided the borough's head teachers. The cost-cutting idea has the potential to slash the council's home-to-school transport budget by almost a third - money
POOLE Town's chiropractors showed they can work magic with their feet as well as their hands as three goals from their students secured three points at Stockbridge. A brace from giant Norwegian striker Harold Todnem and a classy finish from Matty Hayfield
NEVER mind Friday the 13th, what about the curse of March the 13th? With these two clubs sharing such dismal records on this day down the years, there could only ever have been one outcome to this uninspiring clash in dreary Cleethorpes. In previous March
SUPPORTERS of Dorset-bred Rooster Booster can rest assured that the gallant grey will not relinquish his Smurfit Champion Hurdle crown without a fight. Few horses will go to the Cheltenham Festival with quite the same depth of improvement under them than
HORNDEAN RES 1 WEYMOUTH RES 2 WEYMOUTH Reserves continued their recent good form in the Sydenhams Wessex Combination with another win at Horndean. A Ryan Hill penalty and a last minute header from Scott Dennis secured all three points for the Terras,
BACKWELL UNITED 1 BRIDPORT 1 BRIDPORT upset the form book to halt Backwell United's rise to the top with a hard-earned point at the Recreation Ground in the Screwfix Direct Premier Division. The Bees deservedly ended the Stags eight match winning streak
PORTLAND United stretched their unbeaten Sydenhams Wessex League run to five games against AFC Totton at a blustery Grove Corner. A first half header from Chris Evans and an own goal by visiting skipper Matt Parnell were enough to earn the Blues three
WEYMOUTH 1 WELLING UNITED 2 ANTHONY Riviere dealt a hammer blow to Weymouth's Dr Martens Premier Division title hopes at the Wessex Stadium. The talented Welling midfielder notched a first half double and played a starring role in condemning the poor
A CONTROVERSIAL gypsy site in East Dorset looks set to be permanently closed to make way for a construction waste recycling centre. Local residents and parish councils have strongly opposed re-opening the gypsy site at Mannington, near Verwood, which
CIVIL service jobs could be on their way to Weymouth when the results of a Government inquiry are announced today. Up to 20,000 jobs across all Government departments are being targeted for relocation in the report by Sir Michael Lyons. Moving jobs from
CLOSED-CIRCUIT television cameras to help combat crime could be on the way to Dorchester. A new partnership is being proposed to bring CCTV to the county town after past attempts failed to secure funding for a scheme. Dorchester Town Council is being
DORSET'S charms have been highlighted in a new tourist guide. The county's towns and villages were given a glowing report and escaped the blasting of other English towns in the Rough Guide to Britain. Weymouth was given the thumbs-up as a 'lively family
WILD boar numbers will be officially measured after numerous sightings across Dorset. Once considered a rare species, the animal will be included for the first time in The National Gamebag Census. The census is carried out by The Game Conservatory Trust
IN the early hours of the morning on Friday and Saturday nights some 6,000 revellers spill out of the clubs and onto the street - drunken violence is not uncommon. At 2.30am Bournemouth Town Centre is awash with high-spirited stumbling young people, staggering
THE Environment Agency is appealing for any local archive records relating to flooding in Dorset. Local historians, archivists and record keepers could have old photographs, diary records, angling club data and newspaper cuttings of flooding incidents
I HAVE written about television for most of my working life. For years, I wrote a television column for weekly newspapers and even now, I preview the programmes to look out for in the Echo's What's On section every Friday. Trouble is, I can't watch a
