THE chairman of Britain's biggest provider of sheltered housing for the elderly has hit out at massive council tax increases. Keith Lovelock of McCarthy & Stone plc has attacked the "gross inequality" which forces residents of private sheltered accommodation
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a second speed camera was torched in Bournemouth. At around 1am on Sunday, just hours after a camera was set alight late Saturday night just east of the Frizzell Roundabout on the Wessex Way, a second speed camera
THE grieving family of a taxi driver who drowned off Bournemouth beach said they are still baffled about the young father's death. An inquest failed to establish how strong swimmer Muzaer Majid got into difficulties minutes after entering the water in
THE chairman of Britain's biggest provider of sheltered housing for the elderly has hit out at massive council tax increases. Keith Lovelock of McCarthy & Stone plc has attacked the "gross inequality" which forces residents of private sheltered accommodation
FORGET walking or cycling the length of the country, one group of golfers are hoping to drive the distance - and they won't be using a car! With their golf clubs at the ready the team of eight from the Swanage Round Table will aim to hit golf balls from
CROSS-Channel ferries coming into Poole have been warned they must introduce new technology to detect stowaways or face hefty fines. Home Office minister Beverley Hughes wants ferry companies to install heartbeat detectors, thermal imaging and gamma scanners
OAKMEADIANS put on a storming second half show to bounce back from last week's defeat and keep the pressure up on the leaders of Powergen South West Two East. Despite being 5-3 down to High Wycombe at half time, Oaks racked up 17 points without reply
DORSET'S second string were in dominating form when they faced the cream of Cornwall in their opening match of the campaign to bounce straight back into Division Two of the Regional county League after suffering relegation last year. Playing at the Poole
STEVE Bendall is vowing to silence his fiercest critics when he bids to wrest the British and European Middleweight titles from the grasp of Howard Eastman. Bendall, unbeaten in 20 professional fights, will put his record on the line when he faces The
DORSET cricket manager Pete Moxam is standing down after seven years in the Dean Park hotseat. The former Dorchester all-rounder is due to hand in his resignation when the county's committee meets in Bournemouth tonight. Moxam, who will continue in his
DORSET cricket manager Pete Moxam is standing down after seven years in the Dean Park hotseat. The former Dorchester all-rounder is due to hand in his resignation when the county's committee meets in Bournemouth tonight. Moxam, who will continue in his
WEYMOUTH chief Brian White is promising his club's fans a tilt at the Conference League title next year. More than 1,000 spectators turned up at the Wessex Stadium to see the Wildcats beat Norwich 51-38 and bring the curtain down on the Dorset track's
Dorset and Wilts Division Two South Martock 15 Bridport 10. BRIDPORT suffered their first defeat at league leaders Martock. The home side had a rugged pack which they used to great effect and although the Blues were technical masters of the scrummages
Dorset & Wilts Division One Weymouth 18 North Dorset 51. If ever a game could be described as one of two halves then it was this one. The Seasiders kicked off up the slope and against the breeze and did well enough to lead by 18 points to 15 at half
MAJOR plans to stop a town centre road in Wimborne from being used as a rat-run will only push traffic problems elsewhere. That's the concern of Malcolm Johnston who fears proposals to stop motorists using East Borough will force them to drive along Allenview
ANGRY hoteliers in Weymouth accused the borough council of acting like a third world dictator as it pressed ahead with controversial hotel rent increases. The claims were made after hotel operators besieged a meeting of Weymouth and Portland Borough Council's
NEARLY 300 relatives and friends packed St John's Church in Weymouth when a special Service of Thanksgiving was held in memory of town businessman Peter Bennett. Mr Bennett, 58, died on September 28 in Dorset County Hospital, Dorchester, from a heart
A SPECIAL celebration is being thrown after little Oliver Gunn beat the odds to reach his first birthday. The baby boy suffered a series of problems after being born three months prematurely at a weight of 2lb 10oz. Parents Philippa Gunn and Jeff Champion
PERFORMERS had stars in their eyes when Weymouth Bay Caravan Park held the finals of its summer-long singing contest. Entertainments manager Craig Barclay said that the Star is Born event spread over two evenings had been a huge success. He added: "We
RESERVISTS from Dorset are among a 53-strong contingent of Territorial Army infantrymen who have volunteered for winter peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan. All are members of The Rifle Volunteers, the TA infantry regiment for the south west which
WEYMOUTH has just enjoyed its driest September weather on record. Only 5.9mm of rain fell, less than ten per cent of the average rainfall for the month of 66.4mm, and 2003 comfortably beat the previous driest record of 6.7mm which was set in 1971. Rain
A PUDDLETOWN writer is embarking on a month-long trek to Mount Everest. Adventurous Stuart Baker-Brown, 38, set himself the challenge of hiking from Lukla in the Himalayas to Mount Everest's base camp in a bid to make people more aware about mental health
TEMPERS flared at the launch of an older people's action group in Weymouth after campaigners launched an offensive against police and council chiefs for not doing enough to help them. They demanded answers over Weymouth and Portland Borough Council's
BEAMINSTER church was full of musicians and an audience for this year's Voices for Hospices 2003 concert. As in previous years, they performed Handel's Messiah, which attracted nearly 90 singers from a wide area. There was a similar number in the audience
Thursday 9 October: The Bowie Experience - Mr Kyps; Broken Cord - Mister Smiths; Crosscut Saw - Plough Inn, Tiptoe; Acoustic Moose: Bang Lassy + Precious Mackenzie + Gypsy Jack & Son - The Cricketers; Rubber Soul: Penny Come Quick + Parker + Hidden
THE FRENCH half of one of the world's most famous sailing duos is in Weymouth this week. Round the world sailor Raphael Dinelli is testing a new prototype catamaran at Weymouth Speed Week - the world's only no-holds-barred sailing contest. He is one of
A WAR of words has broken out over claims that Dorset has the worst record in the country for reducing road deaths and serious injuries. The Government wants a 40 per cent cut in casualties across the country by the year 2010. But Dorset is not meeting
CHILDREN'S eyes lit up when parents took them to an open day at Sunny Days nursery in Dorchester. The youngsters played with toys and enjoyed the Poundbury-based centre's newly opened soft play gym during the event. Owners David and Joy Scadden threw
EASIER parking could be a step closer for frustrated residents in Blandford. Members of the town council's town and general purposes committee have backed calls for a parking scheme around several roads in the town centre. For some time, people living
ONE of the companies behind controversial plans for a wind farm in Dorset is holding a public exhibition on its proposals this weekend. (Oct 11,12) National Wind Power Ltd, which wants to put a wind farm featuring up to 23 turbines measuring 125m high
CHERRIES star Warren Cummings has maintained his innocence despite losing his appeal against his sending off at Colchester. Cummings was dismissed by referee Frazer Stretton after he allegedly stamped on U's midfielder Karl Duguid during the Layer Road
BOSS Sean O'Driscoll, chairman Peter Phillips and members of Cherries' squad will be on hand to answer supporters' questions when the club host their latest fans' forum on October 16. The forum takes place in the new top floor restaurant at the Fitness
STRUGGLING traders hit by a major road closure in Christchurch have welcomed news the pipe-laying project is proceeding ahead of schedule. Some shops and businesses in Purewell, one of the town's major arteries, have been losing thousands of pounds a
A SAVAGE attack left one language student unconscious and severely bruised and another in need of stitches. Police are appealing for witnesses after two Libyan students were set upon in an unprovoked attack outside Southbourne Fried Chicken in Seabourne
POOLE is displaying its patriotism by flying the Union Flag from the Civic Centre flagpole. The bold move to replace the "It's a Beautiful Place" flag is a bid to reclaim the national flag from "the clutches of extremist groups". Unanimously welcomed
RICHARD Reeks and Adam Carpenter were Poole AC's winners at the Exeter Combined Events Meeting. Reeks, the only under-20 competitor, beat all the senior men, finishing with 5,364 points, just ten outside his personal best. Carpenter, a member of PAC's
STEVE Claridge has turned down offers to manage two Football League clubs this season, Weymouth chairman Ian Ridley told shareholders at the club's AGM. But far from being concerned about the interest in his player\boss, the Terras chief is treating the
PORTLAND United have been rocked by the shock resignation of manager Nick Preston. The 38-year-old today blamed events 'out of my control' for his decision to quit the Sydenhams Wessex League outfit. Preston told Echosport: "Due to certain events and
Southern Counties South Ivel Barbarians 16 Dorchester 11. DORCHESTER'S season was blown off course as they surrendered their unbeaten record and position as table toppers in an error-strewn display at windy Yeovil. Credit should go to the streetwise home
STEVE Claridge said his first ever Dr Martens Premier Division Manager of the Month award couldn't make up for his team's first league defeat of the season against Stafford Rangers on Saturday. "It's always nice to get awards like this - but it doesn't
NEW recruitment franchise Dinosaurs Unlimited has been launched in Dorset to help unemployed over-45s regain their place in the jobs market. Dinosaurs Unlimited (South) has been launched in Canford Cliffs by former Hendy Lennox chief executive Ian Jones
PIRATES bosses believe they can look the club's fans straight in the eye knowing that their controversial decision to replace David Ruud with Ales Dryml paid off. Poole co-promoters Matt Ford and Mike Golding dropped the Swede to bring in the Czech Republic
WEYMOUTH'S main post office is sending out a message: we are the best. The office in St Thomas Street won first prize for best main branch in the South and West heat of the best post office awards scheme. The Weymouth branch beat 39 others in the region
HOUSEHUNTERS Jo Stribley and Ben Lewington spotted their dream home on an old postcard at a cheese festival - and then saw it moments later in an estate agent's window. The couple picked out the beautiful thatched cottage at Charminster, near Dor-chester
RAIL passengers in Weymouth and Dorchester have been the first to travel on new state-of-the-art trains. But they won't be a permanent feature on the line according to Weymouth-Waterloo operator South West Trains (SWT). The German-built Siemens class
A DONATION from a Dorset-based charity has almost doubled the amount to be spent on providing new play equipment in Wareham recreation ground. The £30,000 grant from the Valentine Trust is making it possible for Ware-ham Town Council to give the go-ahead
THE anarchic world of Bottom returns to the south coast on Friday and Saturday as the latest stage version of the cult BBC TV series arrives at the Bournemouth International Centre. In other words Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson (alias sex crazed virgin
FOUR generations of a family helped celebrate a Dorchester couple's long and happy marriage. Fred and Nora Webber raised a glass to 65 years together at their home in Swanbridge Court, High East Street. Dorchester-born Mrs Webber, 87, reminisced how it
A NEW plea was launched for people to defend Dorchester's honour against slurs of apathy. Councillors called for residents to turn out in force for the annual meeting of the town's community planning group on October 22. The appeal came after a TV character
A PENSIONER is trying to find out more about a dramatic rescue that he featured in off the Dorset coast 67 years ago. John Barrows, 82, from Sheffield, was an apprentice window dresser in the mid-1930s when he and two cousins cycled down to Lyme Regis
A LOCAL history museum at Ringwood has gone potty about pottery and other traditional industries practised for centuries in the area. Large seams of clay which made the Crane Valley between Wimborne and Damerham poor for farming were widely exploited
A DORSET council is hoping to woo young voters of the future by targeting them while they are still at school. North Dorset District Council has teamed up with the Local Government Association, the National E-Democracy Board and the Athena Consortium
ONCE the town's leading hotel and functions venue, the historic Kings Arms in Christchurch is up for sale with a rumoured £1.5 million price tag. General manager Lesley Cummings confirmed the Kings Arms' new owners were looking to dispose of the hotel
