BINGE drinkers and law-breaking licensees were targeted during Bournemouth's biggest operation to tackle alcohol-fuelled violence and under-age booze sales. More than 40 undercover and uniformed police joined forces at the weekend with licensing and trading
PEOPLE who abuse Dorset Police's emergency 999 police system could soon receive on-the-spot fines. The £80 penalty notices for disorder may be handed to individuals who blatantly misuse the emergency system in a bid to stop the service being deluged with
POLICE are hunting a tyre slasher who went on the rampage in Bournemouth this weekend. The vandal targeted three hotel car parks west of the town centre during Saturday night and left 12 vehicles with one or two tyres punctured. The news comes just months
A YOUNG Bournemouth student is expecting the dreaded 'knock on the door' from immigration officials poised to deport him to Eastern Europe. Despite a massive campaign by friends, family, local school children, and the Daily Echo, 19-year-old Andrei Bazanov
AN ARMY wife has quit her nursing home job because a painful tooth abscess has made her face so swollen she can't wear the crash helmet she needs to ride her motorbike to work. Young mum Kaylee Morris, whose husband has served in Iraq, Kosovo and Bosnia
A FATHER-OF-TWO who attacked his son-in-law with several axes during a bitter family feud has been jailed for two-and-a-half years. Unemployed forklift truck driver Ivan Thornley, 45, admitted unlawfully wounding Luke Hamilton on September 1 this year
THE man who has guided Poole Hospital for the past seven years has died of cancer at the age of 53. Tribute has been paid to Lloyd Adams, chief executive of the hospital, who died in his sleep on Monday, December 13. Despite his illness he continued to
HAMWORTHY United boss Alex Pike was upset with the officials despite his side's fine 2-1 victory over Fareham. Goals from Tom Rossiter and Keith Middleton handed Hammers the points. But Pike was upset with an alleged retaliatory kick from Fareham's James
WIMBORNE Town manager Paul Arnold was grateful for his side's mental strength as they overcame the controversial sending-off of Gareth Barnes to triumph at struggling Hamble. Magpies played three-quarters of the game with only 10 men after top scorer
TRUST the Irish! (December 18) St Patrick's Day came early for Cherries fans on Saturday as goals from Dublin-born duo Garreth O'Connor and Shaun Maher earned Sean O'Driscoll's men a hard-fought three points. The former Bohemians boys sent the Dean Court
FORMER Dorchester reserve team boss Phil Simkin is keeping his fingers crossed for a dry evening as he looks ahead to his testimonial game against a West Ham Xl at the Avenue Stadium tonight (7.45pm). "What kind of crowd we get will probably depend on
DORCHESTER boss Mark Morris says reshuffling his current squad is his only option if he is to overcome the lack of pace in the middle of his defence that is proving so costly. "I know where the problem lies but solving it when you don't have the resources
PHIL Simkin says West Ham will be doing him "a huge favour" whatever squad they bring to Dorchester for his testimonial match on Monday night. "I don't expect it to be all their first team because they have a very busy time over Christmas," said the former
TESTIMONIAL man Magnus Zetterstrom would like to see indoor speedway back in Bournemouth. The charismatic Swede, who celebrated his 33rd birthday earlier this month, enjoyed his fourth appearance at the Brighton Bonanza so much that he would like to see
FORMER Weymouth Football Club chairman Ian Ridley hired a private investigator to delve into current Terras chairman and hotelier Martyn Harrison's financial affairs. Resort leisure tycoon Harrison bought more than 950,000 of the club's 1.2 million shares
PORTLAND'S prison ship may be moved to the Thames to tackle spiralling overcrowding in the capital. The Metropolitan Police is in talks to buy HMP Weare and is considering using the vessel to hold convicts for short periods. But such a deal would hit
GEORDIE TV personalities Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have been supporting a children's charity fund-raising project at Bournemouth nightspots Berlins, Elements and Jumpin Jaks this Christmas. Although the duo haven't appeared in person, they
TEENAGER James Clark brought festive cheer to the airwaves to boost charity. The 17-year-old went behind the microphone for 24 hours as part of a broadcast marathon on hospital radio. The Thomas Hardye School student blasted out a string of chart hits
POLICE are investigating allegations of violence between foxhunters and saboteurs. The incidents are said to have happened at the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt at Longburton near Sherborne on Saturday when the Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) and
RUGBY star Phil de Glanville, partnership head of Sport England, which made a big grant towards building Weymouth skatepark The Front, has complimented everyone involved on the result. On a vist to the centre, he said "It is a wonderful facility, and
A RARE tree has caused a stir at Abbotsbury Sub-Tropical Gardens by bursting into full flower. The dahlia imperialis is a native of Mexico where it flowers naturally in the wild. Curator Stephen Griffiths said: "This is quite a rare plant from Mexico
LEGENDARY pop survivors Blondie will be returning to Bournemouth next year during an extensive UK tour. The band, fronted by one of the great female vocalists, the ever charismatic Deborah Harry, play the Bournemouth International Centre on Saturday,
A FAMILY is facing up to a bleak Christmas after their vital kitchen appliances broke down - and one burst into flames. Two fire engines rushed to Magnolia Close in the Littlemoor area of Weymouth after a tumble drier caught fire. Brave father-of-four
A DISABLED mum is set to receive her perfect Christmas gift - thanks to the Echo. Jeanie Chubb told how she may have to stop community work in Dorchester because of a frustrating wait for an electric wheelchair. The 47-year-old has a degenerative spine
MILLIONS of television viewers saw a North Dorset engineer sweep to victory in the Scrapheap Challenge Christmas Special. Richard 'Turbo' Vincent, from Stalbridge, and his three-man team had to build a steam train for the popular Channel 4 show, which
BOSS Sean O'Driscoll watched Shaun Maher get Cherries' promotion push back on track and then described the unassuming Irishman as a "vital" member of his squad. Maher ended a 16-month personal goal drought by grabbing the winner as Cherries chalked up
CALLS TO shut down a playground, which residents claim has become a 'no-go' area on a troubled Christchurch housing estate, have been rejected in favour of 'positive action'. Fed-up residents from the Hawthorns estate formed the Rodney Drive Action Group
NORTHERN lads aren't renowned for highlighting metaphysical dilemmas in their weekly columns, but how about this one: If I take the existence of ghosts seriously, why is the only programme on TV that sets out to cement that belief through practical study
A GROUP of ceramic and print artists given the opportunity to work for a day a week alongside a professional ceramicist and members of Poole Printmakers, are displaying the results of their labours in a new exhibition at Upton House in Poole. (Jan 28)
163 Phelipps Road, Corfe Mullen; 3/04/1423/FUL, new end of terrace dwelling; Mr Ramsden, Planning Solutions, Suite 80, 2 Lansdowne Crescent, Bournemouth (for Jasmine Developments). South Hill, Corfe Lodge Road, Corfe Mullen; 3/04/1490/FUL, retain 2m high
61 Ulwell, Swanage; 6/2004/1129, erect rear conservatory and detached garage, install nw window and double doors and stone and fenced boundaries, landscaping; Ms N Barnaby. 61 Ulwell, Swanage; 6/2004/1130, erect rear conservatory, insert new window and
A POOLE man ran from his home in terror after three men brandishing metal bars or sticks broke in and attacked him. The 43-year-old was alone in the Sheringham Road property when he was set upon shortly before 1am on Friday. He managed to escape but police
IT'S an effort that puts them into the champions league. A pair of local footie fans took to the road to collect an incredible stack of memorabilia from top football clubs and raise cash to help premature babies. Jim Geddes, 33, and Ali Wright, 36, from
BOURNEMOUTH Poppies overturned a two-goal half-time deficit to put the boot in on luckless Bemerton and enhance their own impressive recent CV. The visitors arrived at Victoria Park without a win in 10 league games but found themselves two up within 10
SUBSTITUTE Ben Thomson curled in a dramatic 89th-minute winner as title-chasing Lymington and New Milton edged a see-saw seven-goal thriller with Andover. Despite falling behind early on, Ian Robinson's side seemed to be cruising to victory as they stormed
BASHLEY boss Geoff Butler refused to lay the blame solely at the feet of young goalkeeper Stacey Harper after his error saw them return home pointless from their trip to Corinthian Casuals, writes James Morton. Harper allowed a soft shot from Iain Waghorn
CHRISTCHURCH boss Pete Moore blasted the wagging tongues of people predicting his demise after Priory crashed 5-1 at high-flying Thatcham Town. The scoreline, a "very flattering one for Thatcham" according to Moore, set the Wessex League rumour mill creaking
STEVE Johnson admitted things got 'personal' in the dressing room following the Terras disappointing 2-2 draw with Margate at the Wessex Stadium. The Weymouth boss was left fuming after his side twice surrendered the lead against their struggling Conference
HOUSEHUNTERS are still keen to buy in Dorset and Hampshire - despite the slowdown elsewhere in the UK, estate agents report. "Reading the national press you would think nothing is selling - however, we have found this is not the case," said Goadsby &
RYAN Sullivan and surprise-packet Ray Morton have today (Monday) been confirmed as Poole's fourth and fifth signings for the 2005 season. They join Bjarne Pedersen, Antonio Lindback and Ricky Ashworth on RIAS Pirates' roster for next year. That means
THE doors have closed for the last time on a well-loved hotel which attracted glittering stars from the worlds of showbiz and sport. Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Manchester Utd players and Gary Lineker have all signed the visitors' book at Ferndown's Dormy
CHRISTCHURCH-born dancer and actress Kelli Maybank has long been marked out as a talent to watch. Now the talented 18-year-old is getting the chance to study at the renowned American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. Kelli is on the same two-year
A MAN paralysed by a holiday car crash has been stripped of his right to up to £1.5 million in damages - because the accident happened in Australia. Appeal Court judges said that the damages claim from Giles Harding, of Front Street, Portesham, would
A RARE tree has caused a stir at Abbotsbury Sub-Tropical Gardens by bursting into full flower. The dahlia imperialis is a native of Mexico where it flowers naturally in the wild. Curator Stephen Griffiths said: "This is quite a rare plant from Mexico
A PROPOSED £15m scheme to revamp Bovington Tank Museum has been given a boost. Bosses at the attraction - home to the world's greatest collection of armoured fighting vehicles - are waiting for a decision on a bid from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Now Dorset
THE GRIEVING family of motorcyclist Stephen Good, who died after a crash at a notorious accident blackspot have paid tribute to the father-of-three's "zest for life". Mr Good, 41, from Eastfield Lane, in Ringwood, was in a collision with two cars on the
