TROPICAL air from North Africa brought sweltering heat and up 80,000 people to the beaches of Bournemouth and Poole over the weekend. It was the hottest spell of the year so far as the mercury pushed beyond 25C on both days and only fell back to a sticky
SEVEN marketing companies are to be investigated by the telecommunications watchdog Ofcom over nuisance "silent calls". The regulator will determine whether they have breached the Communications Act by misusing automated dialling systems. The move comes
IN its bid to find out whether Bournemouth's controversial IMAX Cinema will ever reopen the Daily Echo tracked down the head of the Sheridan Group on Friday. For nearly two weeks Peter Holmes, chief executive of the Belfast-based company, which owns the
OLDER residents are living in fear of aggressive rogue traders who charge thousands of pounds for bodge jobs before disappearing, it is claimed. The thieves are thought to be targeting park homes, a type of single-storey, pre-fabricated mobile home, popular
AS a parent, how many times have you thanked your lucky stars that an accident waiting to happen to your child hasn't actually occurred? Probably more times than you care to remember. But you can't rely on luck to keep kids safe - which is what Child
HE may have lost his legs, but that did not stop courageous Corporal Neil Heritage taking part in a sponsored walk in aid of a new pair of limbs for him. Neil, 24, was joined by more than 300 people of all ages - some friends and family, others who had
THE London Marathon may be over for another year, but a group of workmates are preparing to put their best foot forward for a local good cause. Ten employees from the Co-op in Corfe Mullen are taking part in a sponsored walk in aid of our Let's Help Neil
A CHARITY concert is being staged in Poole to raise money for the Daily Echo's bid to help buy new legs for a soldier who was wounded in Iraq. Our Let's Help Neil campaign has so far raised £17,062 to help buy artificial limbs for Corporal Neil Heritage
AMPUTEE Heather Mills McCartney has sent a message of support to the Daily Echo for our campaign to help a soldier who lost his legs in a suicide bombing in Iraq. We set up Let's Help Neil after hearing how Corporal Neil Heritage was involved in the incident
AROUND 30 furious neighbours have appealed to Poole council for help in sorting out rows over high hedges. The applications came despite the council's decision to set a £350 fee when the law gave it the power to arbitrate on hedge squabbles two weeks
A MAN was left fighting for his life on Father's Day after being beaten up by a group of teenagers in an unprovoked attack. The 40-year-old was knocked to the ground and suffered a serious head injury when his head hit the pavement. Police are appealing
A MAN was left fighting for his life on Father's Day after being beaten up by a group of teenagers in an unprovoked attack. The 40-year-old was knocked to the ground and suffered a serious head injury when his head hit the pavement. Police are appealing
POOLE middleweight Steve Bendall got back on track on Saturday when he saw off the challenge of Ismael Kerzazi in Coventry. Bendall's polished southpaw punch-picking secured him a points victory on his first outing since he was stopped in six rounds by
A DORSET director is spearheading today's Aim flotation of internet consultancy E-retail. E-retail aims to capitalise on the burgeoning growth of online shopping by advising retailers. Chief executive Quentin Griffiths from Bournemouth and finance director
MATT Ford admitted he "would jump at the chance" of working with Tony Rickardsson again at Poole. The Wimborne Road chief also stressed he believes the Swede will go on and win a record-equalling sixth world individual title this year. Rickardsson, already
OPTIONS for a new top-notch sports facility at a 40-acre site near Wimborne have been drawn up - but it could still take some time before they get off the ground. Councillors at an East Dorset policy and resources committee meeting last week considered
A 13-YEAR-OLD boy is critically ill in hospital after being injured in an international youth powerboat race at Portland. The boy sustained serious head injuries and was knocked unconscious in a collision between two of the race boats yesterday afternoon
A MAN in his 20s would find a 40km cycle and a 15km run a punishing exercise. But Howard Doe is 55 and will be representing Great Britain when he competes in the Duathlon World Championship in Australia this September. His success at being chosen is even
YOUNGSTERS in Blandford are being given the opportunity to channel their pent-up frustration at a new boxing club aimed at reducing antisocial behaviour. In an effort to prevent youngsters hanging around in large groups on the streets and deter them from
A NEW-look Superdrug store has been unveiled in Parkstone, Poole. The shop, in Ashley Road, was re-opened on Friday (June 17) after a refurbishment by the store's chosen charity Poole Hospital's Wish List campaign. A raffle was held in the store with
THEY must be off their trolley! Five staff at the Somerfield supermarket in Highcliffe are planning to throw themselves out of an aircraft next month in sponsored parachute jump inspired by their former boss. The fearless five: deputy store manager Stuart
NEWLY elected MP Tobias Ellwood has urged residents of a leafy Bournemouth suburb to consider applying for status as a conservation area. He says the measure would be one of the only ways to thwart the actions of developers who are gradually buying up
IT may have been Father's Day but Sunday very much belonged to the sisterhood as 8,000 women sweated their way through a blisteringly hot Race For Life. This year's entry was so large that organisers had to create two separate races from Bournemouth Pier
According to police statistics there are at least 60 premises in Bournemouth where sex is sold. They're described as sleazy and seedy, but Faith Eckersall was invited to meet one of them and discovered that most prostitutes are fed up with the way they
OLDER residents are living in fear of aggressive rogue traders who charge thousands of pounds for bodge jobs before disappearing, it is claimed. The thieves are thought to be targeting park homes, a type of single-storey, pre-fabricated mobile home, popular
FOOTBALLERS from AFC Bournemouth joined youngsters at a Poole school when they took part in a joint fund-raising event for a Daily Echo appeal. Hamworthy First School hosted the Skills Day at its site in Blandford Road in aid of our Let's Help Neil Campaign
COURAGEOUS Neil Heritage is gearing up to take part in a sponsored walk organised to collect cash to by him a new pair of legs. The event was arranged to raise money for the 24-year-old corporal after he lost both limbs in a suicide bombing in Iraq last
A RUNNER is hoping to raise £1,000 for the Daily Echo's Let's Help Neil appeal when she takes part in the Edinburgh marathon in June. One month ago we launched a campaign to help raise £30,000 to buy Corporal Neil Heritage from Hamworthy a pair of high-tech
THE owner of a company which creates equipment for disabled people is the latest to back our campaign to help a soldier who lost his legs in a suicide bombing in Iraq. Michael Benton, of MOJ Benton, contacted the Daily Echo after reading about the plight
A DISGRUNTLED resident is threatening to start fly-tipping if his bin fills up under a new Purbeck scheme in which it will be emptied once a fortnight. Ray Dann, 55, is furious at the council's new proposals to roll out green boxes for recyclable products
DORSET opener Neil Thurgood struck his 10th championship half-century as they ended a difficult first day 115 runs ahead of Wiltshire in their Western Division local derby at Salisbury. The 28-year-old right hander hit 88 as Dorset were dismissed for
AMERICAN bluesman Robert Cray arrives at the Bournemouth Pavilion on Wednesday, June 22 with a tour that celebrates what is fast turning out to be a very special year in his long career. So far 2005 has found him celebrating his thousandth gig with his
A FIRE which destroyed a block of flats under construction in Weymouth is thought to be suspicious, police said today. Detective Inspector Mick Rand of Weymouth CID said officers were awaiting a forensic report into the cause of the blaze which engulfed
RUNNERS from all over the country came to Puddletown to take part in the 20km Puddletown Plod on the one of the hottest days of the year so far - full report and more pictures in tomorrow's Echo Picture: BRIAN JUNG/BJ1174C
BULLDOZERS are expected to start earthmoving for the new £2.5 million Chickerell link road next Monday. A deadline for final objections has passed and an announcement of work schedules for the road - which will take six months to build in time for an
ANGRY traders claim homeless people dossing down near their shops are bad for business. Shopkeepers working next to Weymouth's Town Bridge say customers are driven away by rough sleepers, who litter the underpass in Trinity Road with used hypodermic needles
BY THE time you read this, Father's Day will have passed and I will again be bemoaning the fact that nobody in our house noticed that I really did have enough Lynx body spray. But I will be heartened by the fact that nobody bought me the I Love Dad 2CD
PARAMEDICS are preparing to launch their summer bicycle service in Weymouth town centre. Members of the ambulance service have been raising funds through collections with Weymouth Rotary Club. On a mountain bike worth £5,000 paramedics are able to beat
