GRIEVING Tracy Lane clung to her only surviving child yesterday as his two sisters and brother were laid to rest together. Even the hardest heart would have melted when little Adam Gallagher waved a final goodbye to seven-year-old Amanda, Ashley, six,
BOURNEMOUTH'S "cannabis coffee shop" was raided last night as the Boscombe site featured on prime time TV. Seven people were arrested for drug-related offences and a quantity of substances, believed to be cannabis, were seized. Police officers attended
A GOVERNMENT plan to let pubs open for 36 hours solid from New Year's Eve to New Year's Day, is "asking for trouble" say publicans in the front line. Calling current laws "antiquated" licensing Minister Kim Howells says the move would represent more freedom
A WORKMAN involved in a crash with a car as he was measuring a driveway is recovering in hospital. The 46-year-old man suffered series injuries after the incident in Sterte Road, Poole. He was working with a colleague when they were involved with a collision
A GROUP of residents are hoping to put Southbourne on the map by staging a spectacular event for the Queen's Jubilee. They are appealing for sponsors and individual cash donations for The Fisherman's Walk Shindig on Monday, June 3. The Fisherman's Walk
ILLEGAL fishing has led to the death of a mother otter and her two babies on the River Stour. A National Trust warden was stunned to discover the grisly remains on the Kingston Lacy estate near Wimborne. The badly decomposed bodies were found very close
TONY Rickardsson produced another master-class performance as Poole Meridian Lifts worked hard to sweep Belle Vue aside last night. The Swedish superstar and reigning World champion was in immaculate form as he reeled off five straight wins to inspire
STAFF have been sacked after report revealed bullying and discrimination at Dorset County Hospital is rife, health bosses admitted today. Now managers at the Dorchester hospital are taking steps to clamp down on harassment at work after nearly 300 staff
LEADING conservationist David Bellamy was down in the undergrowth in West Dorset yesterday, singing the praises of the county's holiday parks. He believes that parks in Dorset are among the greenest places to stay in Britain and are helping to create
PLANS to scrap rail network card discounts on fares under £10 will cause passengers to think again about travelling by train, a Weymouth and Portland councillor claimed today. At present, network card holders receive a third discount on the cost of an
AN English test spelled success for youngsters who raised £3,600 at St Osmund's Middle School in Dorchester. Every child was sponsored to learn 75 words before a test in aid of the Children of Chernobyl and a Bulgarian orphanage. Teacher Wendy Higgs said
A TOURISM and leisure trade fair held at Weymouth Pavilion has been hailed as a great success. Organisers said that Tuesday's event in the Ocean Room had been an ideal forum to exchange ideas and promote attractions. Fair co-organiser Steve Davies said
RSPCA officials have launched an investigation after an emaciated dog was dumped and left to die in the New Forest. Found lying in undergrowth near Burley, the dog was in such poor condition it had to be put down by a vet. The male Briard - a type of
IF there any wise men around, they might be interested in what is going on in the night sky at the moment. A cosmic spectacle is taking shape, the like of which will not be seen again for many years. More than 2,000 years ago a similar planetary conjunction
THE new state of-the-art Bournemouth Library was launched in style yesterday with five hundred balloons. The building boasts 45,000 more books than the old library at Lansdowne and more than 50 public computers with internet access, word processing and
FIRST there was the London Eye - now there's the Bournemouth Eye. The town's new balloon has arrived, been re-named, and is taking bookings ahead of its planned opening over the May Bank Holiday weekend. But the Bournemouth experience will cost passengers
FOUR children and a dog reunited a pensioner with her handbag more than a year after it was snatched from her. The group did a Famous Five-style good deed after German shepherd-cross Billy discovered the bag during a seaside walk. The youngsters found
LULWORTH Castle will be the stunning backdrop for the seventh annual Country Gardening and Food Fair on May 11 and 12. Over two days numerous nurseries will be selling a wide range of plants, shrubs and garden furniture at one of Dorset's premier events
Now that the football season is drawing to a close, it will be interesting to see how Sky manages to fill up four sports channels with no football to fill up the schedules. After all, at the moment, we have the English, Scottish, German, Spanish, Asian
DORCHESTER will be out to make club history at The Avenue Stadium tonight when they try to win the Dr Martens Cup for the first time. And club chairman Eddie Belt is appealing to Magpies' fans to turn out in force to cheer the club's young side to victory
GEOFF Butler is expected to be named as Weymouth's new manager this weekend. Echosport understands the former Salisbury City boss will take up the reigns after the Terras complete their Dr Martens Premier Division campaign against Ilkeston Town at the
AN action plan of improvements has been drawn up by community leaders working to improve a rundown Ferndown estate. The 41-point masterplan earmarked for the Tricketts Cross area, also known as the Heatherlands, is the culmination of an extensive appraisal
THE pen is mightier than the sword is an old saying but one that has proved effective in Ferndown. Fed-up with the ongoing problems with criminal damage and anti-social behaviour in the town, Ferndown South and West Parley Neighbourhood Watch asked young
STARSKY the runaway rabbit is still looking for his HUTCH. The lop-eared rabbit was taken into Dorchester Police Station on Weymouth Avenue two days ago after a pet lover saw him hopping along Frome Terrace and worried he would be eaten by a dog. He was
A STORMY Portland annual parish meeting has backed a review which could lead to the scrapping of Portland Town Council. More than 100 people packed St Andrews Church Hall last night to debate the issue. The meeting voted 50-45 in favour of a review by
DOG owners are being urged to sign up their four-legged friends for a new registration scheme. The initiative will help local authorities to return pets to their owners after they have strayed, and avoiding a possible fine and kennelling fees. Weymouth
GERMAN students staying in Weymouth have today branded bus company First "an embarrassment" to the town. They say they have been struggling with unhelpful staff, unreliable services and claim the firm refused to sell them weekly and monthly tickets. The
RUTHLESS electricity salesmen are still operating in Dorchester after a string of householders had their supplier switched without warning. Statistician Margaret Rehahn, 65, of Maumbury Road, has become the latest victim of shady sales techniques used
A WEYMOUTH landlady has been named as one of the top 50 in the country after she was literally left holding the baby. Barbara Dubben who runs Bay Lodge at Greenhill beat off fierce competition from around 3,500 hopeful landladies and landlords across
TWO Weymouth charities have been given an £8,500 cash boost from a national grant-making trust. Weymouth and Portland Anchor Trust will receive £5,000 from the Lloyds TSB Foundation to pay for a new part-time case worker. Weymouth Community Volunteers
FURIOUS villagers are to take their vicar to court to stop the construction of an unwanted £500,000 church hall on the local graveyard. Around 150 people crammed into the Hordle Recreation Ground pavilion to voice their opposition against proposals for
CHERRIES boss Sean O'Driscoll is expected to announce his retained list after he has met the Dean Court board to discuss plans for next season. O'Driscoll, who has been told his own job is safe despite Cherries suffering relegation, is due to sit down
