POOR road infrastructure has been blamed for the economic blow which will see Dorset lose almost 600 jobs. Fashion giant New Look, which has stores in Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch, has decided to withdraw its distribution network from its base
MULTI-million pound plans to radically upgrade leisure and educational facilities in north Bournemouth have been unveiled to residents at the first in a series of public meetings. Leisure and education bosses from the Town Hall outlined how the £6.5 million
A ZERO-TOLERANCE approach to litter, graffiti and drunken behaviour is needed to save Bournemouth's reputation as a family resort, it has been warned. The town's image will be "irrevocably tarnished" unless drastic action is taken to deal with all aspects
THE Arthurian legend comes to life once more in this Jerry Bruckheimer-produced blockbuster, based on a screenplay by David Franzoni (Gladiator), which jettisons the fantasy elements in favour of historical accuracy. So you can ignore the romantic complications
WE are obsessed with property! How much is your home worth? I bet, even if you don't own it, you know almost to the last penny. Admit it, we've all turned into amateur estate agents - au fait not just with the value of houses, but with how to tart them
IF the title doesn't tell the story, then the names of the authors should. This is the tale of the Cold War race to put a man on the Moon, but, brilliantly, is told by two people involved. Cosmonaut Leonov was the first man ever to venture into open space
LACK of exercise and rapidly-expanding waistlines will lead to a health crisis in Poole unless urgent steps are taken to reduce rising levels of obesity, it has been warned. Poole Primary Care Trust's (PCT's) director of public health Dr Adrian Dawson
SECOND-half goals from Dani Rodrigues and Warren Cummings earned Cherries a 2-0 victory at Dorchester Town's Avenue Stadium last night (July 29). Rodrigues notched his fourth goal of pre-season to open the scoring for Sean O'Driscoll's side in the 70th
A BRIDPORT staff nurse has blown the whistle on falling hospital standards - blaming poorly trained staff for spreading the killer bug MRSA. Beryl Drummond, of Norman Close, says patients who get infected because of sloppy hygiene should sue and force
FULL-BACK Simon Radcliffe made a surprise return for Dorchester in their 2-0 friendly defeat by AFC Bournemouth last night - then expressed the hope that it could lead to a new contract for him at the Avenue Stadium. The former Bridport defender, whose
BRIDPORT residents packed into a public meeting to have their say on the proposed move of Bridport Medical Centre. Plans have been put forward to move the centre from North Allington to the Gore Cross Industrial Estate. NHS representatives called the
DAVID Trotter has described tomorrow's clash with Poole at Redlands (1.30pm) as Weymouth's biggest game of the season. The mouth-watering encounter is a must-win game for both sides with the losers almost certainly being ruled out of the race for the
ANGRY pensioners have vowed to fight on after a government planning inspector reprieved the house dubbed Bridport's "towering monstrosity". The chalet bungalow at 24A Nursery Gardens was built approximately 18in too high and owners were given four months
AS Fresh Recruits move into their third year of trading, the rapidly expanding business is celebrating by moving into bigger offices on the 3rd floor at Bristol and West House in Bournemouth's Post Office road to help manage their success even more effectively
FASHION empire New Look's decision to close its Weymouth distribution centre with the loss of 580 jobs was an economic "disaster waiting to happen," say Dorset business leaders. Dorset's notoriously poor road structure made the decision inevitable and
PIRATES rider Daniel Davidsson has vowed to bounce straight back after he was forced to pull out of their 55-39 home win over Coventry with a head injury. The Swedish youngster fell heavily into the first bend safety fence after he and Bees rider Shaun
THIS year's Bournemouth Pier Theatre season continues with David Griffin and Michael Tudor Barnes from Keeping Up Appearances, EastEnders and Hi-de-Hi starring in the classic farce Wife Begins at Forty. It runs until Saturday August 7. Telephone 0870
THE plug has been pulled on electric-powered bicycle tours in the New Forest. New Forest District Council planning officers stepped in and told Cyclescape that planning permission was required for its hiring operation. Cyclescape also came under the spotlight
PUBLIC loos in north Dorset's town centres have been branded "disgraceful", with vandals and drug users making them no-go areas for local people. Wrecked facilities, human waste spread all over the floor, and discarded needles are just a few of the complaints
IT WAS twenty-six years in the making, but Lyme Regis finally got its own skate-park on Saturday. Under a blazing sun, boarders, bikers and bladers of all ages turned out for the official opening of the long-awaited new park in the town's Lister Gardens
A 17-year-old boy who was arrested in Lyme Regis on suspicion of possessing indecent pictures of children will have no further action taken against him. The boy was arrested, along with a 52 year old woman, in January as part of crackdown by Devon and
MY STEP-DAUGHTER has been spending her hard-earned pennies recently to join in the latest craze to sweep our modern youth. I say hard-earned, because that's how she thinks of it, but frankly getting pocket money simply for tidying your room is money for
DANI Rodrigues is vowing to pull out all the stops in a bid to win a place in the Cherries starting line-up for their Coca-Cola League One curtain-raiser at Hull City. The popular 24-year-old Portuguese readily admits competition for places at the KC
WHEN little Jordan Bisch says "Please sir, can I have some more?" it's books he wants, not gruel like Oliver Twist. Jordan, who is five and lives in Rutland Road, Christchurch, with mum Jean Griffiths and dad Eddie Bisch, is already a confirmed bibliophile
A SAILOR who went missing after his damaged boat was found washed up on the beach at Hengistbury Head a month ago has returned to his stunned family. Justin Griffin turned up on the doorstep of his family home in Christchurch on Wednesday night (July
TWO council-run day centres in Bournemouth look set to close within the next nine months as part of a major overhaul of care for older people. Members of the caring for people scrutiny and review panel gave their support to a scheme to shut and sell off
THE Daily Echo Film Club in conjunction with UCI offers Echo readers the chance to enjoy top movies at a cut price every week at UCI. Membership is free to every Echo reader who applies and includes: Two tickets for the price of one on a selected film
FIONA Monaghan is editor-in-chief of New York's leading fashion magazine, content with her busy life jetting back and forth between Manhattan and Europe to fashion shows and fashion shoots, when one-day John Anderson strolls into her office. A widower
OUTRAGE has been caused by Poole council's attempts to scare Canada geese away from areas of Poole Park using birds of prey. Residents were horrified when they encountered ducklings and goslings scattering in all directions as a man with a tethered bird
A WEST Dorset village green has been held up as an example of excellence. Askerswell's Washingpool Green has been recognised as an important architectural space. The public open space has been included in a project called Evolving Spaces, a new publication
A frustrated Lyme Regis pedestrian is using a toy panda in a pushchair to protest about the town's traffic problems. Chris Burgess, who lives above the Smuggler restaurant in Broad Street, says she is incensed by traffic chaos in the town, so she put
A LYME Regis mother has spoken of her joy at being reunited with her teenage daughter after she went missing on Monday night. Carol King, of South Avenue, said her daughter Claire, 13, was pleased to be back home after spending the night away from home
A TORY MP is consulting libel lawyers after a national newspaper listed him among members with a poor voting record. Bournemouth West MP Sir John Butterfill was named in the Daily Telegraph alongside an article about Conservatives who were thought to
PLANS to relocate Clavell Tower inland from clifftops at Kimmeridge have been given the go-ahead by planning chiefs despite concerns over whether it will survive the move. Purbeck District Council planning chiefs unanimously approved proposals to save
A £20,000 CCTV system is being introduced in Wareham town centre to help cut crime and incidents of antisocial behaviour. The digital system will send images directly to Wareham police station and record activities 24-hours a day. The town council has
JIM Davis' popular cartoon strip, chronicling the exploits of an overweight cat with a passion for lasagne, is enjoyed by a phenomenal 260 million readers around the world. The ginger feline, with a belly almost as large as his ego, has been ripe for
160 Burley Road, Bransgore; 81155, annexe to existing residential nursing home (outline application with details only of access & siting) (Major Application); Jerry Davies Planning Consultancy, Suite 333, 80 High Street, Winchester (for Mr Steele)
MARY DiNunzio is a young lawyer who is working on a case involving the suicide of an Italian American in an internment camp during World War II. She is working late in the office by herself and receives a disturbing phone call. Perhaps this investigation
POOLE'S St Tropez tag may have become tarnished but a £100 million development has revitalised plans for the waterfront. "It will bring a focal point to the end of the quay," said Peter Mills, consultant to the scheme and the former chief executive of
COUNCIL chiefs and residents have pushed the boat out with their praise for West Bay's new East Pier. "Fantastic" was how Bridport Town Council leader Charles Wild described the latest phase of the £16million sea defence project this week. And nearby
WEYMOUTH will have another trialist keeper between the sticks tomorrow - Bournemouth old boy Mark Ovendale. Terras boss Steve Claridge has named the 30-year-old in the side to face Conference outfit Exeter City at the Wessex Stadium (3pm) following his
RESIDENTS in Ferndown and West Moors, who have had to put up with an "experimental" resurfacing project on the A31 Ferndown Bypass for six years are calling for compensation. Wesley Noble, 67, a former surveyor, of Hazel Drive, is co-ordinating the campaign
CHART topping singer Katie Melua has announced she will be playing the Bournemouth International Centre this year as part of her 10-date tour of the British Isles. Since the UK release of her debut album Call Off The Search, Katie has gone from being
A GROUP of concerned Lyme Regis residents has launched a campaign to stop a giant mobile phone mast being built near their homes. Residents of Charmouth Road have written to the shadow chancellor Oliver Letwin and registered their concerns with the district
Lyme Regis town crier Phil Street had a big surprise on Wednesday when he was presented with a portrait by the Lyme Regis and St Georges, Bermuda twinning association. The picture of Mr Street, by Lyme artist Maxine Cox, was to commemorate his success
A SAILOR who went missing after his damaged boat was found washed up on the beach at Hengistbury Head a month ago has returned to his stunned family. Justin Griffin turned up on the doorstep of his family home in Christchurch on Wednesday night (July
