A SCHOOLBOY who yelled racial abuse during a brawl in a takeaway has escaped conviction on a race charge. But the 17-year-old has been told he could be jailed for his part in the fracas. The Bournemouth youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted
The DEPUTY Prime Minister is being urged to intervene in the long-running wrangle over the fate of Bournemouth's Winter Gardens. Following a controversial council decision earlier this month to sell the concert hall and reverse an earlier decision to
SIMON Browne and Lee Phillips were left nursing injuries following Weymouth's latest pre-season warm-up game against Gravesend and Northfleet at the Wessex Stadium. Both players were forced to limp out of what was a physical encounter with the newly promoted
TERRAS chairman Terry Bennett today apologised for the poor state of the Wessex Stadium pitch for Saturday's 1-1 pre-season friendly draw with Gravesend and Northfleet. The uneven Radipole Lane playing surface was covered in weeds, daisies and buttercups
COASTGUARDS in Dorset had one of their busiest weekends of the year so far. An elderly man was airlifted to hospital by Portland Coastguard rescue helicopter Whisky Bravo yesterday after he became ill following a swim at Charmouth. He was taken to Dorset
EDUCATION Secretary Estelle Morris was booed and jeered by the crowds as she spoke at the Tolpuddle Martyrs' Rally. Mrs Morris raised her voice and tried to calm the agitated mood of thousands of people who gathered in the village. But her efforts were
STAFF claim prisons on Portland could become more dangerous following the introduction of a new European law. Prison officers are worried the number of assaults on both staff and inmates could rise due to a directive issued by the European Court of Human
A WOMAN has celebrated her 94th birthday with a trip in a light aircraft. Isobel Edwards took the flight in a four-seater Cessna 172 with her 17-year-old grandson Callum Weaver at the controls, and she now plans to take to the skies more often. Callum
A STORM of protest has erupted over a county council probe into the Orange Route as an answer to Weymouth's grinding traffic problems. The county says it must consider the road - which would slash through ancient woodland at Two Mile Coppice - because
A TEACHER has retired after more than 16 years of service. Clive Nicholls, 55, who lives in Dorchester, was head of Year Four at Westhaven Junior School when he decided to take early retirement. During his career Mr Nicholls headed up the PE department
PLANS by the Government to scrap local councils in favour of larger regional assemblies have been met with opposition by councillors. A Government White Paper has suggested merging district, borough and county councils across England into a single-tiered
CROCKED Cherries star James Hayter has been boosted by news he could be back in action earlier than expected after making a swift recovery from an ankle injury. Hayter feared he could be ruled out until the start of the new season after sustaining ligament
THE World Cup may have finished last month, but football fever made a comeback at Canford Heath Festival. Pupils from Ad Astra School marched through the estate in full football kit, with the flags of the 32 nations which took part in the world's greatest
DORCHESTER skipper Matt Lonnon reckons he will have recovered fully from his knee operation in time for the start of the season after a tough-tackling 45 minutes in the Magpies first pre-season friendly. Lonnon underwent micro-surgery two months ago to
PORTLAND RT 111 (1pt) lost to WEYMOUTH 114-1 (25) by nine wkts WEYMOUTH enhanced their NSA Dorset Premier Division title claims with a comprehensive nine-wicket win over basement boys Portland Red Triangle at Reforne. The championship-chasing Seasiders
DORCHESTER 240-6 (7pts) lost to Colehill 241-4 (23) by six wkts THERE was double disappointment for Dorchester's young in-form batsman Adam Rendell in his side's high-scoring NSA Dorset Premier Division game at Colehill. Denied a deserved century when
TALENTED teenagers Tim Mason and Tom Legg, who produced a high-class thriller in their Dorchester tennis coaching club final last month, turned on the style again when the Weymouth Town Tournament reached its climax yesterday. But this time the result
THE Echo is today delivering thousands of coupons to the Government in a bid to save the Portland coastguard helicopter. Readers have united in a show of mass support for the Echo-backed Save Our Lifesavers campaign to keep the search-and-rescue helicopter
A SIX-YEAR-OLD boy is likely to have a fence built around him because a disability has made him a danger to himself. Paul Lewis is autistic, hyperactive, has epilepsy, a kidney condition and no sense of danger. It means he often escapes from his garden
THE entertainment was a drag at a Piddletrenthide fundraiser - three men dressed up as the Andrews Sisters. The trio donned army costumes to perform a tribute act to the forces' sweethearts at a Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) event. Nearly
BAE Systems' Christchurch operation has been given a £8 million, two-year starter fund to develop its bid for a major £430 million contract for a new secure military communications system. Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram has announced that the Dorset
