Swanage and Wareham were hammered 40-5 at home by title-chasing Old Patesians in South West Division One. The Bestwall boys completed their first campaign in the top flight with a disappointing performance, despite James Warren grabbing their late consolation
Plans for a park-and-ride facility and lorry park on green belt land beside the A338 Spur Road have come under attack by civic leaders. Bournemouth council's transport and works committee has applied for permission to develop a site adjacent to Riverside
FARMERS' markets are making a cautious return to Wareham as the area attempts to recover from the effects of the foot-and-mouth crisis. The market scheduled for March was cancelled but a decision has been taken to allow the April market to go ahead, as
POLICE are calling on parents to help rein in young tearaways - some as young as nine - who are going on sprees of vandalism in the early hours of the morning in a quiet New Forest town. The centre of New Milton suffered wanton damage over the weekend
VANDALS have destroyed £700 worth of saplings newly-planted to replace other trees damaged by yobs. The attack in Frederick Place in Weymouth town centre has upset owners of nearby businesses. Bon Appetit delicatessen owner Lian Berry said: "It is mindless
The Easter story was brought vividly to life in floral displays by members of the congregation at All Saints Church in Easton. The font and windowledges in the church displayed spring flowers and magnificent white Easter lilies crowned the altar. The
THE property market in Dorset is bucking the national trend with a housing boom despite the foot and mouth crisis. County estate agents have revealed that the housing market in Dorset has so far escaped the ravages of the crisis with an increase in the
A GRIEVING daughter has blasted thoughtless drivers who forced an undertaker to carry her mother's body out into the middle of the road. Pauline Joy has joined householders in Damers Road in the rising storm of protest over Dorset County Hospital staff
TRAGIC teacher Teresa Ann Hobbs was killed by a mysterious virus while at the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester, an inquest heard. Miss Hobbs, 29, of the Buildings, Symondsbury, Bridport, collapsed suddenly in a staff room at the Queens Avenue school
A LOVING Bournemouth couple have seen their wedding video for the first time after the vintage movie was discovered 52 years later in a photographer's cupboard. Blushing bride Megan Jones was just 21 when photographer Ted Smith tried out his new 16mm
A PATRIOTIC campaign has been launched by Poole tourism in conjunction with the Daily Echo - and you have a chance to join in. A brand new car sticker and flag have been designed to combine the Poole It's a Beautiful Place logo with England's national
WHEN seven-year-old Ben King came face to face with an angry adder in his home he knew exactly what to do. More used to handling the deadly taipan snakes that live in his back garden in north-eastern Australia or stumbling across giant crocodiles in the
A COUNCIL surveyor is taking a bow after winning an Echo competition to see the Royal Shakespeare Company in Dorchester. Paul Webb, 50, of Southview Road, Weymouth, scooped the two tickets for the first night of The Tempest, which will be the first time
Oklahoma!, Ringwood Musical & Dramatic Society, Ringwood School I DON'T need Aunt Eller's shotgun pointed at me to admit that Oklahoma! is very much more than OK - it's a million dollar, sure-fire success that couldn't be a better celebration of the
PURBECK district councillors have backed government measures to help suffering businesses during the foot and mouth crisis. Councillors have praised a package of measures that have seen stricken firms benefit from a rates hardship relief scheme and win
NINETY businesses affected by the foot and mouth crisis have been awarded rate relief by West Dorset District Council. The council recently wrote to the 4,000 businesses in its area detailing possible financial help available under the Government's rate
DORSET farmers continue to be split over the issue of using vaccination in the fight against foot and mouth. Industry leaders said farmers in the county were divided down the middle on whether vaccinating animals in the hot- spot areas of Devon and Cumbria
LABOUR rock-star activist Billy Bragg says he is voting Liberal Democrat at the next election in an effort to throw out two Dorset Tory MPs. The singer-songwriter - who lives with his family in Burton Bradstock near Bridport - is known for his left wing
Wow It's Showtime Weymouth Pavilion REVIEW BY MARION COX CRAMMING most of the hit songs from many of the shows of the past 50 years is no mean feat and, predictably, the young members of Weymouth Operatic Workshop carry the whole thing off with their
COMPANIES hit by the foot-and-mouth crisis are being urged to act now to make sure they survive and recover. They should apply for the deferment of VAT payments, apply to their district council for a three month "holiday" from business rates and approach
A CHANGE in the law to allow speedy removal of dumped cars from local beauty spots has been called for by the forester faced with clearing up these three vehicles abandoned in a woodland car park at Hurn. Chris Taylor, forester for the Forestry Commission
DORSET farmers continue to be split over the issue of using vaccination in the fight against foot and mouth. Industry leaders said farmers in the county were divided down the middle on whether vaccinating animals in the hot- spot areas of Devon and Cumbria
DORSET stars Anna White and David Sanger eased into round two of the Bournemouth Girobank Tour event yesterday with convincing wins at the West Hants Club. Qualifier White produced the first upset of the tournament as she saw off much-fancied Hannah Parker
A man was threatened with a knife during a violent attempted street robbery as he walked home. The 52-year-old victim was walking along Milestone Road in Oakdale during the early evening when he was approached from behind by a man. He was threatened with
CHERRIES have received a massive boost ahead of their play-offs make-or-break weekend with the news that Scotland have released Richard Hughes to play against Wycombe next Monday. It was originally thought Hughes would miss the crunch Division Two clash
CHERRIES could face a hefty bill to help rescue the game's leading pension fund from a deficit of about £13m. Liverpool have been handed by far the biggest bill and must pay off just over £3million over the next six years - almost one quarter of the total
Volunteers are needed to take part in a litter pick this weekend to rid Wimborne of discarded rubbish. The Spring Clean event is part of a Tidy Britain Group campaign to improve the appearance of local communities. Anyone interested should meet on Saturday
TRAGIC teacher Teresa Ann Hobbs was killed by a mysterious virus while at the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester, an inquest heard. Miss Hobbs, 29, of the Buildings, Symondsbury, Bridport, collapsed suddenly in a staff room at the Queens Avenue school
A THIEF tried to escape along a railway track after a shoplifting spree in Dorchester. Police and a helicopter were called into action after a man was spotted acting suspiciously yesterday. The shoplifter, who had a large rucksack, ran towards Dorchester
A MYSTERY letter posted in Dorset may help solve a 13-year-old murder inquiry. The hand-written letter bears a county postmark and claims to reveal the identity of the killer of a Kent man. Police in Thanet, Kent, are appealing for the author of the letter
A NEW action plan costing up to £300,000 is to be launched to step up decontamination of surgical instruments at the Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester. Bosses aim to improve measures to cut out the theoretical risk of the human form of mad cow disease
TRIMAR chief Patricia Houlberg has paid tribute to outgoing fundraiser Martina Goble, who has stepped down after six years in the hot seat. The hospice trust chairman said Martina had 'given her all' for Trimar. The trustees and all those involved with
A FUNDRAISING appeal for Dorset's air ambulance by a student nurse injured in a horrific crash has raised nearly £4,000. Debbi Gale, 34, suffered multiple injuries - including a shattered hip socket and fractured pelvis - in a car crash last December,
A Weymouth student who beat the odds to gain her degree now has designs on becoming a teacher. Talented Rachel Reed, 22, of Lodmoor Avenue, gained her degree in textile design last summer and has now been accepted on a teacher training course at Weymouth
LABOUR rock-star activist Billy Bragg says he is voting Liberal Democrat at the next election in an effort to throw out two Dorset Tory MPs. The singer-songwriter - who lives with his family in Burton Bradstock near Bridport - is known for his left wing
YOUNG people were so incensed at being blamed for vandalism that they turned up at their town council to defend their honour. Eight youngsters attended a meeting at Sturminster Newton. They used the public discussion period to say they were not responsible
PIRATES team manager Neil Middleditch paid tribute to Gary Havelock after they beat King's Lynn 51-39 in a thriller at Wimborne Road to go top of the Sky Sports Elite League last night. Captain Marvel was an inspiration as he teamed-up with Poole Gas
TODAY is the deadline for people who contract their work to client firms through their own company to calculate and pay tax due to the Inland Revenue. Tax experts across the South fear the failure of a High Court challenge to the controversial IR35 rules
BOURNEMOUTH & District Law Society is due to elect its first woman president in its 108-year history. Sheila Collins is set to be named president at the society's AGM on Monday. "I am very proud and honoured. I think it is fitting that this important
NATIONWIDE building society has rejected a resolution by a carpetbagger to move towards demutualisation. It rebuffed the proposal by Andrew Muir which would have triggered estimated windfalls of £700 to all qualifying members. Nationwide said Mr Muir's
STRUGGLING traders in Christchurch could become locked in a downward spiral if a new "superpub" is given the go-ahead, a public hearing has been told. The packed gathering at the Civic Offices heard how plans to transform the former High Street Spar shop
