A FATHER'S love for his estranged son has spanned 6,000 miles and 21 years and made possible a life-saving operation. Father-of-four Douglas Barclay from Burton had not seen his first-born son Nicholas since just before his third birthday. But when he
FIRE incidents are being analysed in Dorset as part of the first major shake-up of fire cover since 1936. And the outcome could be more fire engines in the county or on the other hand closure of some fire stations. Dorset Fire and Rescue has been asked
THE face of Dorset could change radically as council chiefs prepare to back plans for 40,000 new homes, another terminal at Bournemouth Airport and a shake-up of sea, road and rail links. As revealed in Friday's Daily Echo, up to 18,300 new homes are
PAPER is piling up at the recycling warehouse. Newspapers, cardboard, textiles, furniture, electrical goods, metals, plastics, ceramics, oils and cans - you name it, Bournemouth residents have been recycling it. Between January and July this year, an
ABOUT 100 members of the Dorset Royal British Legion witnessed the laying up of the county standard. Former servicemen from legion branches throughout Dorset, led by the Band of the Royal Hussars from Bovington Camp, paraded from the Mowlem Theatre in
ROLLO and Binx, a loveable dog duo from a Dorset animal sanctuary, have been nominated for a walk-on part in a TV show on Tuesday night. The Margaret Green Foundation, which has its headquarters in Church Knowle, near Wareham, volunteered five-year-old
NEW ways of measuring the GCSE achievements has seen some schools dropping dramatically in league tables, but have launched one Poole secondary into the top 100 most improved schools. On the same day as local education authority GCSE pass rates for 2005
PAUL Arnold saw former Wimborne hero Taffy Richardson run the show for Poole Town and then admitted: "I wish I had one like him." Richardson, who was skipper of the Magpies' famous 1992 FA Vase-winning side, popped up with a diving header to bury Ryan
MORE people are moving to the South West to find work that any other region in the UK according to figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), which are based on registrations at GP practices. The South West topped the polls with almost 34,000
A VISITOR made an unusual arrival at Canford School... via the River Stour aboard a paper boat. World record-breaker Tim Fitzhigham paddled his way into the school grounds in a canoe made of paper and amazingly stayed afloat. The eccentric fundraiser
A RADICAL overhaul of Verwood's road network could relieve town centre traffic. But the plans could prove controversial to traders and residents as roads are closed, leaving others vulnerable to being used as rat-runs. When the Verwood distributor road
MORE traffic snarl-ups are set to hit the heart of Weymouth's road system when a series of highway works begin. Drivers are bracing themselves for major delays along Dorchester Road and relief road campaigners say the disruption for road-users highlights
It's Dorset Food Week 2005 - and the Dorset Echo is celebrating the county's food heritage and its innovative producers in a series of features throughout the week. We will be giving away some fantastic prizes during the week, including hampers of local
A PARADE of sail began with a bang thanks to a 15-gun salute from the Nothe Fort. The event was held to mark the 200th anniversary of Nelson's victory over the French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar. More than 50 motor cruisers, yachts and
AN ACTION plan to make New Milton more vibrant has been presented to local councillors by the town partnership. Council chairman Cllr John Mason said: "I think it's well structured and well thought out and it embodies a lot of what the town has started
TWO more "neighbours from hell" have been evicted from their homes in Christchurch as Twynham Housing Association continues its purge on unpleasant tenants. Following a sustained cam-paign of antisocial behaviour, including assaulting neigh-bours and
TWO more "neighbours from hell" have been evicted from their homes in Christchurch as Twynham Housing Association continues its purge on unpleasant tenants. Following a sustained cam-paign of antisocial behaviour, including assaulting neigh-bours and
CALLS are flooding in from Bournemouth residents worried by antisocial behaviour to a new action line set up to deal with the problem. Police, council officers and head teachers have been patrolling the streets on Friday nights following calls made to
LEE James' hopes of regaining his European Tour card effectively disappeared with a double-bogey seven during his final round of the Challenge Tour Grand Final. The Dorset Golf and Country Club touring professional needed a top two finish to automatically
LEE James' hopes of regaining his European Tour card effectively disappeared with a double-bogey seven during his final round of the Challenge Tour Grand Final. The Dorset Golf and Country Club touring professional needed a top two finish to automatically
SHOCKED 10-year-old Nicholas Rogers claims he came face to face with a big cat in Poole's leafy suburbs as he walked home for his tea. Nicholas, from Ascot Road, in Broadstone, was running home from the Recreation ground next to Silverdale Close where
CHRISTCHURCH'S nine-match unbeaten league run came to an end at Hurn Bridge as clinical Thatcham chalked up an impressive 4-1 win. Andy Leader's side, whose only previous league defeat came at Bournemouth Poppies in August, were left shell-shocked after
ALEX Pike paid tribute to his miserly Hamworthy defence as they earned their eighth clean sheet in 12 Wessex League fixtures in their 0-0 home draw with Gosport. Although John Waldock had a goal chalked off for offside, Pike was content with a point and
POPPIES may have got the defeat Pete Moore was "half-expecting" - but only after Totton grabbed a late controversial winner to seal a 2-1 away win. Moore's ranks have been decimated in recent weeks by a glut of injuries and several suspensions, while
BOSS Ian Robinson was left "absolutely gobsmacked" after a Linnets supporter joined him in the dugout to offer her opinions on where his team were going wrong. Linnets, who fought out a 3-3 draw with Walton Casuals in Ryman League Division One, were losing
STEVE Bendall may have to wait until next year to get a crack at the English middleweight championship. Bendall was pencilled in to challenge title-holder Donovan Smillie in December, but the Poole-based puncher may miss out after being cut on Saturday
STEVE BENDALL breathed a massive sigh of relief after surviving an early onslaught to outpoint Majid Ben Driss in Coventry on Saturday night (Oct 22). Bendall was badly hurt in the second round before making his class tell and pulling away in the second
WEYMOUTH could net a £250,000 windfall after being drawn away to mighty Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup first round. The Terras secured a dream date with the former double Euro-pean Cup winners at the City Ground, Nottingham, on November 5 by beating
SECURITY guards have stopped people taking knives into court buildings after security measures were stepped up in Weymouth. The move at Weymouth Magistrates Court is part of an HM Court Service drive to increase safety at magistrates courts across the
STAFF at Dorset County Council are celebrating after being shortlisted for an award celebrating the benefits of renewable energy. The council was nominated in the most proactive local authority category of the Green Energy Awards. The council is described
A NEW Forest restaurant once favoured by the Duke of York has been named Hampshire Restaurant Of The Year in the Which? Good Food Guide 2006. The duke and his bodyguards visited the Three Lions at Stuckton, near Fordingbridge, several times in the mid
A SINGLE mum who was found using heroin with a friend during a drugs raid on her home has been told she could go to prison. And magistrates warned that her habit could harm her child's future. Suzanne Henderson pleaded guilty to possession of heroin and
AN ENTERPRISING North Dorset woman has brought a new lease of life to her village by setting up a community shop and tearoom. Residents in East Stour, near Shaftesbury, were devastated when their only village shop closed two years ago, leaving a post
A YOUNG woman who suffered five years of violent beatings at the hands of her bullying husband before asking for "advice" has joined Dorset police in urging other victims to seek help. Jane, 26, (not her real name), from Christchurch, called police in
