The town council election results were announced on Friday 8 May.
Police believe the perpetrators travelled in a blue or grey BMW and they are seeking witnesses or CCTV footage.
Wimborne Minster Town Council held its annual Civic Thanksgiving Service on Sunday 10 May at the Minster church. This was preceded by a parade around the town comprising The Quarterjacks of Wimborne marching band, Wimborne Cadets, standard bearers, civic dignitaries and the MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, Vikki Slade.
Members of the public came to the woman’s aid and assisted in apprehending the offender prior to police arriving minutes later.
In just one week, the initiative found 172 drivers committing offences, including not wearing seat belts and using mobile phones.
There are two final events in Wimborne u3a and Planet Wimborne’s ‘Greener Wimborne, Better Planet’ series in June.
Christchurch Rotary Club is launching ‘Dinner About Town’, a unique dining experience taking place in September.
Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has delivered pre-hospital emergency blood transfusions for the past 10 years.
Elections for the new Bournemouth, Broadstone and Poole Town Councils take place today.
The offences, which were committed over a period of several months, have resulted in Chad Antony Martin Smedburg being jailed for 10 years.
Outcomes have been positive since headteacher John Bagwell introduced therapeutic classrooms at the beginning of the year.
From Tuesday 26 May until Friday 3 July traffic lights will be in operation on Julian’s Bridge as a trial.
People can either access the collection online or visit the Dorset History Centre in Dorchester to find out more about the Dorset author.
Dorset’s homeless cats will soon need new guardians as three core volunteers with over 70 years of experience between them are stepping down.
Local authorities are delighted that the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 is expected to come into force at the beginning of 2027.
Thousands of visitors turned up to visit the Spring Fair at Beaulieu in the New Forest over the Bank Holiday weekend of 1-3 May.
The three-day festival in April saw 100 free and ticketed workshops and many people attending for the first time.
Three Dorset farm companies have been found to have failed to store slurry correctly following an Environment Agency investigation.
Colleagues and families have paid tribute to Carmel, who worked at Forest Holme Hospice for 13 years, and has now retired.
The Rotary Club for Ferndown and Parley filled the Great Hall at Canford School for its anniversary celebrations.
Dorset Police have issued a warning to residents of Ferndown following a report of courier fraud.
Wimborne Community Theatre will stage a new site-specific production on the Kingston Lacy estate in September.
Measures have been installed to protect the Queen Oak, which was a sapling at the time of the Black Death.
The Act, which comes into force on 1 May, will provide more stability for tenants and clarity for landlords.
Roger Sewill and his Dales pony, Scarlet, have almost completed a 200-mile hike around Dorset.
More than 70 boys from across the UK took part in the annual National Boys Dance Day in London.
Following several harrowing scandals, regulation of the funeral industry, which is in the pipeline, has been welcomed locally.
There were a number of people in the area, and so Dorset Police are hoping witnesses will come forward with information.
There was a lot of energy in the town and a variety of activities for young people to enjoy as part of UPLIFT 2026.
Nominations for the six categories close on 31 May, with the awards ceremony at the New Forest and Hampshire County Show on Wednesday 29 July.
The £425,000 BCP Crisis and Resilience Fund will focus on providing funding for community meals and cookery workshops.
Forest Holme Hospice is now offering patients the chance to spend their last days in the comfort of their own homes.
Following the stabbing of a 16-year-old, police are appealing for witnesses or anyone with camera footage.
To be held on 1–3 May at Beaulieu, the BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair will be bursting with flowers and plants to wow visitors.
The event, which takes place on Friday 15 May, offers a 3km, 5km or 10km route from Bournemouth towards Southbourne.
49-year-old Simon John Turner of Reading was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment after defrauding several people
Overall crime dropped in Dorset in 2025, according to the latest ONS data, meaning the area remains one of the safest in the UK.
Discussion regarding the planning application for land off Birchdale Road, Colehill, lasted more than three hours.
Lib Dem Vikki Slade is calling for a staffed police desk in communities across her constituency following a huge rise in shoplifting.
Members of the weasel family are among 1,100 species recorded in the New Forest during a two-year nature recovery project.
The Museum of East Dorset is to host a month-long celebration of all things prehistoric in May.
Mila Desborough, 13, became the UK U15 girls’ javelin all-time record holder at the Winchester Open for Wimborne AC.
Dorset employers’ legal duty to protect young workers
Police would like to hear from anyone who could identify the two youngsters who were on the bridge above the Upton Bypass.
The pair of barn owls can be viewed on a YouTube livestream. At least four eggs have been laid.
The prolonged dry conditions are a cause for concern for Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, which is urging caution.
GoodOaks Homecare Bournemouth and Poole is hoping for success in the forthcoming Dorset Care Awards on 8 May.
11-year-old Aria has been able to return home thanks to a small but life-changing piece of equipment funded by Southampton Hospitals Charity.
Blandford Leisure Centre and Weymouth Swimming Pool & Fitness Centre are both making this offer to people in the county.
Victoria Hospital now has a much larger car park on land previously occupied by Wimborne Town Football Club.
The joining of Rising Voices Wessex with Lewis-Manning Hospice Care sees the launch of the Lewis-Manning Rising Voices Choir.
Nigel Hedges has been re-elected as president of the Bournemouth Chamber of Trade and Commerce.
Police are keen to speak to any witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage following the collision on Monday 20 April.
The Great Dorset Beach Clean encompassed 21 beaches, and so far 628kg of rubbish has been recorded as being removed from beaches.
This the first event of its kind and it has so far raised more than £16,000 for Poole-based Forest Holme Hospice Charity.
Alfie Wise has been jailed for more than six years for raping a woman and intentionally strangling her at an address in Poole.
Running from 24–26 April, the festival takes place at venues across the town centre, including the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum.
Civic dignitaries from across the county attended a civic day hosted by the Mayor of Wimborne Minster, Cllr Jeff Hart.
Dorset Community Foundations is offering grants worth up to £2,000 for projects that will boost the environment.
Dorset’s Police and Crime Commissioner is asking residents what they think of the controversial technology.
Grant Putman and Brooke Marshall were arrested in Old Manor Close in Wimborne Minster back in August 2025.
Lizzie Eden and Steve Duckett were among the guests at a reception held at Windsor Castle and hosted by Their Majesties.
The council has signed the national Fraud and Scams Victim Charter to help to protect local people against criminal tactics.
Dorset Police are seeking information following a robbery in Church Lane and subsequent damage to police vehicles.
Bourne 2 Sing male voice choir will perform at a fundraising concert for Access Dorset on Thursday 18 June from 7pm–8.30pm.
Wimborne u3a and Planet Wimborne are partnering to hold two talks in May in the in the ‘Greener Wimborne, Better Planet’ learning series.
A smash hit musical about Henry VIII’s six wives is coming to Lighthouse Poole next year.
A campaign raised over £100,000 from the community in two weeks, with major contributions from councils in Dorset.
Dorset Council is appealing for information following the discovery of several large containers leaking liquid.
The exhibition of works by young Ukrainian artist Anastasiia Boiko is on display until 22 April.
The scanner, funded by University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity, makes having an MRI scan a less frightening experience for youngsters.
Although written by Alan Ayckbourn in 2011, the company have put in an allusion to a certain red tie-wearing American president in what I can only describe as a brilliant production.
Dorset Police are hoping to speak to anyone who travelled in the Hurn Road area on Saturday 11 April and witnessed the collision.
Raising funds for Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance, the event at Baiter Park, Poole on Saturday 9 May promises to be a lot of fun.
The annual pedal car race around the streets of Ringwood was due to take place on 24 May.
A charity show to raise funds for Julia’s House will take place on Sunday 10 May and tickets are now on sale.
Cup of Calm, which has been launched at the Museum of East Dorset’s garden tea room, runs every Monday at 2pm.
Alan Tootell, a resident of Heathland House Care Home in Ferndown, celebrated his 100th birthday with family and friends.
Nearly £100,000 has been donated to local charities and good causes by the Freemasons in Bournemouth.
The Wimborne Business Awards took place on Thursday 9 April at Merley House.
Areas such as Ringwood and Fordingbridge will be part of a new council in 2028.
One man has been charged with murder, three men have been released without charge and a further man remains under investigation.
This first ever free family-friendly event will be held on Sunday 19 April from 10am-4pm at the Willow Walk green.
Dorset Police are seeking witnesses following the incident in which a 21-year-old man from Poole was arrested.
Prospective students will need to book for this final open event of the academic year which is to be held on Thursday 7 May.
The collaboration between Planet Wimborne and Wimborne u3a begins with a presentation at The Reef in Colehill.
Police are hoping the driver responsible, as well as any witnesses or drivers with dashcam footage, will come forward.
The message is clear from Dorset Police: if you have been drinking on a plane or ferry, you should not drive.
The impressionist’s live show on 29 April will feature gags, poetry and piano playing.
People who attended a rave in East Lulworth on Easter Sunday have accused police of using excessive force in their handling of the situation.
The ‘I Predict a Riot’ band are topping the bill at the festival in Baiter Park which takes place from 31 July to 2 August.
Sir Desmond Swayne said the closure of the private school is a “terrible shame” for pupils and parents.
People still have the chance to have their say on proposed fire station closures in Hamworthy and Cranborne with online meetings.
The family of James Blanch who died in Charminster have issued a tribute to him, with police still seeking more information.
Callum Murray from Weymouth, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer, is urging men to get checked if they have concerns.
Rugby in Dorset occupies an undersung but well-earned place in the English game, a county without a professional franchise yet with a club network that runs deep, a pyramid presence at the sixth tier of national competition, and a track record of producing players who have reached the very top of the sport.
Police made 11 arrests in the process of shutting down a rave that attracted 2,000 people to East Lulworth.
Wimborne Musical Theatre Society is staging ‘Shrek the Musical’ at the Tivoli Theatre from 25–27 June, with matinee and evening performances.
Over the next couple of weeks, several roads across the conurbation will be closed to allow asphalt preservation works to take place.
Following the death of a Christchurch man, three men have been arrested and police are appealing for witnesses to the incident.
Additional households in Poole and Bournemouth now have weekly food waste collections on the same day as rubbish and recycling.
A community radio station has been given notice by Dorset Council to vacate its premises
The private boarding school in Ringwood has announced it is closing this summer.
Elderly adults and pregnant women will be offered protection against RSV thanks to a vaccine.
The Big Teddy Takeover taking place during Children’s Hospice Week, 15–21 June, will benefit Julia’s House.
Following the Citizens’ Climate Panel, which met last year, a report has been published outlining the way forward.
A vulnerable resident at Portelet Manor Limited who had been smoking in the home’s designated smoking area died in 2023.
People in the town are being invited to put forward their views on the imposition of a 20mph limit on St John’s Hill.
West Moors Horticultural Society held its 74th Spring Show on Saturday 28 March.
A Bournemouth-based luxury travel agency is helping to nurture talent in the area through its history of hiring local university graduates.
Dorset Police is keen to discover how the man was injured and is appealing for witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage.
The volunteer-run garden hosted an Easter egg hunt and traditional games on Sunday 29 March.
The success at the West of England Regional Finals has been the most significant in the town’s 162-year banding history.
Fairlawn care home in Ferndown held the party to celebrate a staff member’s 25 years of dedicated service.
Christchurch Baptist Church held its first services on Sunday 29 March in its brand-new £2.5 million, 250-seat building on Bargates.
People entitled to concessionary fares will be able to travel for £1 before 9.30am as part of a programme of bus service improvements.
A Bournemouth father and his family are helping a muscular dystrophy sufferer to take part in the event on 24 April.
The government has released a consultation on ‘proposals to prohibit trail hunting in England and Wales’. Comments can be submitted until 18 June 2026.
BCP Council has agreed to the introduction of a Lane Rental Scheme; now it’s up to the Transport Secretary to approve it.
Dorset Council, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council and East Devon District Council are working together.
Although some councils are changing what they can and cannot accept in kerbside bins, that isn’t the case in the Dorset Council area.
Dorset Police are hoping anyone who witnessed the robbery or who has dashcam footage will come forward to help with enquiries.
Verwood and District Horticultural Society’s Spring Show was a big success on Saturday 21 March.
A Dorset couple have returned to the county after conflict in the Middle East left them stranded in Dubai for nearly three weeks.
The Sexual Trauma and Recovery Service, which has helped people in the BCP area, is to be extended throughout Dorset.
If you were on the number 13 morebus at around 10.30pm on Tuesday 24 March and witnessed this incident, contact the police.
Dorset Council issued 80 Fixed Penalty Notices in 2025, which is double the number given in the previous year.
Dozens gathered in Bournemouth to celebrate the BCP Food & Energy Support Fund, which has handed out over £1.7 million in the last five years.
West Moors Town Council has invested in a pair of new benches for residents to use as the seasons change.
Groynes are being renewed along the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole seafront, with four having been completed in recent months.
The government’s Pride of Place programme will enable West Howe, Boscombe West and Hamworthy West to be revitalised.
Wimborne Community Garden’s Great Easter Egg Hunt is returning this year.
People living in the Dorset Council area are being asked to take part in a consultation about the size of ward boundaries.
Four teams from Heathland House took part in challenges which included visiting The Tank Museum and the Aviation Museum.
BCP Council is micro-surfacing roads across the conurbation and is upgrading key routes and improving road crossings.
Children will be able to have lots of fun when paddling pools in Redhill, Hamworthy, Littledown and Christchurch re-open.
The UK government has allocated over £22 million to the area, to provide new lifts at Pokesdown Station and improvements in West Howe.
Dorset Soroptimists travelled to the Home Office to meet Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips following the publication of their booklet.
Nearly two dozen groups in Dorset received funding from the Blandford-based brewer’s charity, including £1,600 to Allendale Community Centre.
Local people will be able to enjoy cheaper hot drinks and ice creams, free swimming, and an hour’s free parking.
The Rotary Club of Ringwood Interschools Photographic Competition took place on 10 March.
Pupils from Ringwood Junior School are set to take part in this year’s TCS Mini London Marathon on 25 April.
What’s your opinion on the reintroduction of beavers to Dorset’s wild places?
The Diabetic Eye Screening Service User Forum, for people living with or caring for people with diabetes in Dorset, will take place on 26 April.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales visited the area to learn about the work being done to prevent youth homelessness.
Chestnut Nursery is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a special day on 28 March, with free gifts, cakes and music.
Friday 27 March is the deadline for entries to this year’s event organised by Dorset Chamber and the Dorset and Somerset Training Provider Network.
Wimborne Community Garden has won the opportunity to create a Beautiful Borders Show Garden at the BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair.
The number of households in Dorset that rely on oil for heating is higher than the national average, but help is available for some.
Many of the public bins across the conurbation are well past their sell-by date and are difficult for crews to empty.
Dorset Council’s Biodiversity Report shows how much work has been done in the county over the past two years.
The Force reports that, over recent months, it has been successful in tackling shoplifting thanks to digital theft packs.
Two local university graduates, Fernando Morillo and Stephen Cullingford, contributed to Oscar-winning films.
Laceeze Defiance, run by Hampshire resident Emma Burke, triumphed at the recent Elite Business Awards, winning the Sage People’s Choice Award.
During Operation Scorpion, which brought together the five South West police forces, more than 100 people were arrested.
Bournemouth Town Neighbourhood team numbers will be boosted by an additional 11 officers in the coming weeks.
The authority carried out a series of underage sales test‑purchasing checks of tobacco at seven retail premises in east Dorset.
The virtual tour of the unit in the BEACH building is now available to access at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital website.
Local MP Vikki Slade warns that procedural delays in the House of Lords could prevent the Assisted Dying Bill from passing into law.
A home care provider is giving away a total of £9,000 to projects across the country.
The event, organised by University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity, takes place on Saturday 28 March along Bournemouth seafront.
A number of activities are planned for Sunday 12 July. Ahead of this, the council is appealing for donations of gloves.
Dorset Community Foundation is looking for members who want to give back to the local area to join its board of trustees.
Adam James Michael Crawford was found guilty of several offences including burglary, theft, fraud and aggravated vehicle taking.
Children and young people with special educational needs will be supported by an increase in school places at the former Parkfield School site.
Ferndown’s Creative Happiness Club hosted an anniversary party to commemorate its second year together.
The three men, members of an organised crime group, were jailed at Bournemouth Crown Court on 6 March following an investigation.
Throughout April, there will be a whole raft of activities taking place throughout the town, many of them free.
More than 800 properties in the county have been empty for two years or more, and Dorset Council is keen to help owners bring them back into use.
The Great Dorset Beach Clean takes place at numerous beaches across the county over a period from 1–12 April ahead of the summer season.
Residents from Heathland House in Ferndown are preparing to take on Race Across Dorset 2026.
The effect of cataracts amongst the older population is dramatic as they are unable to carry out tasks vital for survival.
Corfe Castle and Wimborne Minster plan to light up purple for CHAMP1 Awareness Day.
As kerbside battery collections have ended, people are urged to use battery and vape drop-off points in shops and supermarkets.
The Purewell area suffers from traffic congestion, with a two-minute journey often taking up to 13 minutes.
The annual Sherborne Travel Writing Festival is back for its fourth year and features a dozen writers, journalists and publishers.
Dorset Police are working with charities to signpost the support that is available to women and girls who could be victims of violence.
A Dorset funeral director suggests that ‘alkaline hydrolysis’ could be the answer to the long-running problem of no cremators at Poole Crem.
From 23 March, local people wanting to use the household recycling centre at four sites in Dorset will have to book.
Three sisters who set up a charity fund in memory of their parents are celebrating 10 years of giving.
Callum Giddins, 22, is to spend three years in prison and Casper Blackmore, 19, has been handed an 18-month suspended sentence.
Blair McDougall MP attended a meeting attended by business owners and organised by Bournemouth Town Centre BID.
An evening talk is being held on Thursday 19 March at Durlston’s Learning Centre for those who want to know more about the finds.
At the time of the assault there were several people around, and police are hoping some will come forward as witnesses.
Bournemouth-based charity Ukraine Relief hosted an anniversary event to commemorate the fourth year since the start of the invasion of Ukraine.
Ben Murray’s offences included stealing a car, breaking into a home in Weymouth, threatening a person with a knife and stealing a bag.
A £5m programme of works will deal with the huge increase in potholes, road defects and emergency call-outs.
Mosaic Family Support and MYTIME Young Carers are to receive funds raised by The Dolphin.
Police are keen to hear from anyone who was treated by Dr Timothy Girling, who faces six years in prison.
A man has been arrested following the alleged assault of a woman in Poole Road.
The booklet captures the lived experiences of hospice staff during one of the most challenging chapters in recent history.
There have been several cliff falls in the last 10 years, and now BCP Council is set to restore the promenade.
A ceremony will take place at County Hall on Monday 9 March, and local people are invited to attend the flag raising.
After months of hard work, the Hengistbury Head Outdoor Education Centre is set to reopen in the spring.
Gareth Broom’s efforts will help to fund the running costs of the Advice Bus, which brings experienced advisers to rural communities.
Across the country there has been an increase in rough sleeping, but this is not the case in Dorset, which has seen a reduction.
Joshua Blake sadly died in the single-vehicle collision in which two other people sustained serious injuries and remain in hospital.
Local people will have the chance to explore environmental issues in a series of events organised by u3a Wimborne and Planet Wimborne.
A member of the Verwood Covid Community Group will take part in a brief reflection taking place at Memorial Corner.
More than 120 play spaces across the three towns are being repaired and upgraded by BCP Council, with new equipment installed.
Wimborne Minster is Dorset Town of Culture 2026 and held an official launch event on Wednesday 18 February.
Graham William Hill, who burgled three properties in the space of three days, has been jailed for six years and five months.
