LEISURE chiefs are crossing their fingers for another three weeks of hot weather in a bid to stave off further damaging spending cuts. Bournemouth councillors recently voted through a £380,000 package of emergency cuts hitting beach cleaning, tourist
CONGESTED roads and sweltering heat could not deter thousands of visitors from flocking to Bournemouth and Poole to enjoy record-breaking sunshine. The weekend, in which the temperature broke through the 100F barrier in the UK for the first time ever,
A SUMMER craze for jumping into dangerous waters has left a young woman injured after she leapt off a cliff. Youngsters have been risking their lives by diving into the water from locations such as Swanage cliffs and Poole's quay and bridge. The young
TEMPERATURES were in the 80s, the beaches were packed and there was no prospect of a let-up. Our current sweltering weather has invited comparisons with 1976, when Britain sizzled all summer. Brian Cummings, now senior seafront inspector at Bournemouth
BUSINESS consultancy Two Two One B has seen a 211 per cent rise in the number of fraud cases it has been called to investigate. Bournemouth-based Two Two One B was tasked to investigate 19 cases over the year, compared with nine in the previous 12 months
A ONE-MAN campaign has been launched by a Purbeck councillor to protest against huge council tax rises. Sporting a 10-gallon hat and with his protest board, pensioners' champion Cllr Fred Drane, has been seated outside the post office at Upton. The local
A ONE-MAN campaign has been launched by a Purbeck councillor to protest against huge council tax rises. Sporting a 10-gallon hat and with his protest board, pensioners' champion Cllr Fred Drane, has been seated outside the post office at Upton. The local
A MAN has appeared in court accused of a murder at a Poole guest house. Thomas McDonald, 52, of no fixed address, is accused of murdering Roger Wilton between August 3-6. He appeared before Bournemouth magistrates and was remanded in custody. There was
HOTSHOT Richard Gillespie hit two for the second week running as Bashley humbled last season's Dr Martens Eastern Division champions Dorchester with a 3-0 win. Having hammered a brace in the 6-0 drubbing of Portland seven days' earlier, the teenage terror
PLAYER-MANAGER Steve Claridge watched from the dugout as his Weymouth side came from behind to win their final warm-up friendly at Gloucester City. Claridge, who had a groin strain, will be pleased with the comeback, courtesy of two goals in four minutes
ROBIN Hood was supposed to do the stealing, not Littlejohn. Adrian Littlejohn robbed a Cherries team rich in quality of a share of the spoils when he popped up to bag the winner for a poor Valiants outfit three minutes from time. The 31-year-old, introduced
WESTLANDS SPORTS 3 BRIDPORT 3 SIMON Gale fired in a hat-trick as Bridport came from behind three times at Elite Teamwear Dorset Premier League side Westland Sports. The goals take his pre-season tally up to eight and although manager Peter Conning's search
BASHLEY 3 DORCHESTER 0 WHILE Dorchester fans were getting into a sweat trying to convince themselves that friendly results didn't matter, Magpies boss Mark Morris reckoned the heatwave roasted his plan to treat his side's final warm-up game as a full
WEYMOUTH new boy Paul Buckle has refuted suggestions he was forced to leave Aldershot because of the travelling involved to and from his home in Devon. The 33-year-old midfielder claims he quit the Conference club after they refused to honour a re-negotiation
DORSET-based fans are being offered the rare opportunity to play alongside one of the club's all time greats. Saints legend Matt Le Tissier is bringing a celebrity team to take on a Portland United IX at Grove Corner next week and his midfield partner
WEYMOUTH and Dorchester fans are celebrating today after important signings added the final touches to their squads for the coming campaign. The Terras have agreed terms with Aldershot midfielder and skipper Paul Buckle while the Magpies have come out
DORSET sizzled in soaring temperatures at the weekend with sunseekers taking to the beaches and countryside in a bid to cool off. Thousands flocked to Weymouth yesterday as the thermometer climbed to 31.9C (89.4F) in the resort - the third highest reading
SENSATIONAL Irish dance show Lord of the Dance continues it month-long residency at the Pavilion Theatre in Bournemouth. Great dancing, stirring Celtic rhythms and a classic mythological tale of good triumphing over evil. What more could you want? It's
PARENTS are calling for action over run-down play parks on a Weymouth estate. Burnt out cars, engines, beer cans and broken glass are just as common in the parks as swings and slides and families have had enough. A campaign has been launched at Littlemoor
YOUNGSTERS put Dorchester shops to the taste test for the title of Best Chips in Dorchester. The Champions Youth Club members voted for their favourites fries after visiting to six fish and chip shops in the town. Staff at Case and Brewer in Victoria
CHERRIES boss Sean O'Driscoll will await news of a scan on Shaun Maher's ankle before deciding whether to step up his search for emergency defensive cover. Maher sat out Cherries' Division Two curtain-raiser at Port Vale on Saturday after going over on
A MAN appeared before Bournemouth Magistrates on Saturday charged with the murder of Christchurch woman Samantha Marie Vines. Michael John Catling, 25, of Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire, spoke only once to confirm his name, age and address. He is
THE Daily Echo now offers an online Cherries match report service every Saturday. If you can't watch a match live you can log on to this site and read all about it. A match report will appear on the site within 45 minutes of the final whistle. We hope
DORCHESTER all but secured their Dorset Premier Division future with a superb 67-run victory at Blandford. Ian Sibley, Quinten Miller and Dave Chubb struck half centuries as the county town posted an excellent 251-3 batting first. They then restricted
WEYMOUTH 245-8 (25pts) beat WIMBORNE 134 (6pts) by 111 runs HIS nickname might be Binman, but there was nothing trashy about Dave Pearce's contribution to Weymouth's crushing victory over Wimborne at Redlands. The stand-in skipper led by example as the
DORCHESTER 251-3 (18pts) beat BLANDFORD 189-6 (5pts) by 67 runs DORCHESTER came good just when they needed it most to get the win that will almost certainly secure their Dorset Premier Division place for another season. "We knew we had to produce something
DORCHESTER boss Mark Morris says he's unlikely to sign a cover goalkeeper for the Avenue Stadium's number one Mark Ormerod on a contract. Unless he or reserve team boss Phil Simkin can find someone capable of deputising in the Dr Martens Premier Division
HUNDREDS of people are rallying to support a grey power revolution that is starting in Weymouth and Portland. A new action group that aims to stand up for the rights of citizens over 55 looks set for a hugely successful launch after people from around
FORMER Hardye's School pupils were astonished when they turned on their TV sets and spotted their old teacher - still in his mortar board and gown. Andrew MacTavish, 66, who taught at the Dorchester boys' school until 1976, was on the small screen hectoring
PORTLAND rescue helicopter had its busiest day ever yesterday as soaring temperatures brought thousands of visitors to south Dorset's coastline. The helicopter, which faced the axe until reprieved by the government following an outcry by Echo readers,
DORSET adventurer Bear Grylls and his team hit bad weather as they made their way across the Davies Straight towards Iceland. The 29-year-old and his team of four endured freezing conditions as they attemp-ted to sleep with waves crashing around them.
A 37-YEAR-OLD Dorset man has been charged with the murder of Poole masseuse Angela Chiu. Mrs Chiu, 48, was found by her daughter Daniella, 18, stabbed to death in the bathroom of her millionaire Canford Cliffs home on August 1. The man was appearing before
A SUMMER craze for jumping into dangerous waters has left a young woman injured after she leapt off a cliff. Youngsters have been risking their lives by diving into the water from locations such as Swanage cliffs and Poole's quay and bridge. The young
A POOLE Pottery dish commemorating the Red Arrows' visit to Bournemouth on Friday is likely to attract much interest at a BIC charity lunch. The sought-after one-off, inspired by an original painting by Colin van Geffen, will be among items auctioned
DORCHESTER defender Carl Poore makes his first appearance tonight since damaging ankle ligaments in the Magpies opening friendly against AFC Wimbledon three weeks ago. He lines up for the club's reserve squad away to Wessex League Christchurch in Dorchester's
TEAM Great Britain boss Neil Middleditch was a proud man last night despite his team finishing fifth in the World Cup final. Middlo saw his team fail to recover from a wretched start to the event in Vojens on a very difficult track. Sweden - without world
A WOMAN whose disabled husband was trapped in a car at a Dorset beauty spot was told police were "too busy" to help. Jan Mitchell drove her 63-year-old husband John, who is paralysed from the neck down, to the Smugglers' Inn car park at Osmington Mills
DIVERS have spoken of their fears about plans to build a wind farm at Portland Harbour. Energy giant Powergen Renewables - whose proposal will provide enough power for the whole of Weymouth and Portland - has told divers the project will not affect them
PUBLIC events could be banned from a popular Blandford beauty spot amid concerns they are harming the environment. It is one of the options councillors will consider when the future of Stour Meadows comes under the spotlight on Thursday. In May of this
IT HAS been branded the must-have fashion accessory of the year by one of the publishing industry's top style magazines for men. The cravat? The Bay City Rollers tartan trousers perhaps? Or even the tank top. No, I'm afraid it's far worse than that. The
MYSTERY surrounds the death of a 30-year-old man who was recovered from the beach at Bournemouth at the weekend. The man from the Southampton area drowned after getting into difficulties in the sea just after 7pm on Friday night. He had gone 25 metres
TOURISM businesses in Poole are vying for glory with the launch of the new "Palms" awards. Four Palms awards are being sponsored by Poole commercial property agents Sibbett Gregory and supported by the Echo: Tourism Personality of the Year 2003; Long
A 37-YEAR-OLD Dorset man has been charged with the murder of Poole masseuse Angela Chiu. Mrs Chiu, 48, was found by her daughter Daniella, 18, stabbed to death in the bathroom of her millionaire Canford Cliffs home on August 1. The man was appearing before
WESTON ST JOHN 1 PORTLAND UNITED 7 WESTON ST JOHN RES 1 PORTLAND UTD RES 2 THE Blues wound up their pre-season programme on a high note with success all round in their double-header against the Screwfix One outfit in Somerset. Manager Nick Preston was
PENSIONERS falling and injuring themselves on new paving in Ferndown have prompted an urgent investigation amid claims the wrong sort of materials were used. Complaints have been made to Dorset County Council that the block paving outside East Dorset
TEAMS from Dorchester and Germany may play each other in a sporting extravaganza to strengthen twinning links. The youth games are being lined up for May next year after talks held when dignitaries from Dorchester's twin town of Lubbecke visited. Mayor
MOO what a scorcher! With the thermometer nudging the 90s, Ellingham Show organisers turned up the heat to complete the judging and presentations by midday on Saturday to allow animals and their owners respite from the searing heat. "I think it has to
VIKINGS, Red Indians and pirates were among the colourful characters who brought the normally quiet streets of Christchurch to life on a sultry summer evening when the annual carnival procession rolled through the town on Saturday. Taking pride of place
