A GRADE-I listed building which was destroyed in a suspected arson attack is to be turned into an 'adventure wonderland inspired by Batman' according to the new owner, in a restoration project which will create 'hundreds' of jobs.

A LEAGUE table of the best places to live in the UK says Bridport is the best area in Dorset when it comes to natural beauty.

BUSINESSES are happy to have some form of 'certainty' going forward, but concerns have been raised on how they will be supported, with many still having to wait months before reopening.

DORSET Council is uncertain whether it will be able to collect around £13m in unpaid council tax and business rate – with just weeks until the end of the financial year.

CONSTRUCTION WORK has begun on a long-running project to bring a skate park to Beaminster.

BRIDPORT'S next online auction will be taking place this week.

AN ADOPTION agency for Dorset has fought through the Covid-19 pandemic to find a forever home for its 200th child.

BRIDPORT are ineligible for a share of £14m in grants under the Winter Survival Package, Bees’ chairman Adrian Scadding has confirmed.

THE conversion a former Netherbury garage into a home has been agreed by Dorset Council - despite local objections.

NO DECISION has been made yet on whether one of Bridport's biggest events will be going ahead this summer.

A DEAD dolphin has washed up at West Bay.

NEW handrails and replacement streetlamps have been agreed for St Mary’s Church at Tower Hill, Netherbury.

DORSET Council is looking at pulling out of South Walks House in Dorchester and moving staff to County Hall.

A £700 MILLION education support package has been announced for England.

The number of recorded coronavirus cases in Dorset increased by 68 in the last 24 hours, official figures show.

CHICKEN wings will be on offer at this week's garden glut event.

One new coronavirus death has been recorded at University Hospitals Dorset Trust in the latest 24-hour period, the latest official figures show.

Senior officials have frequently appeared to dismiss the idea of introducing vaccine passports in the UK.

FINANCE staff at Dorset Council dealt with almost double the sums they are used to in the last year because of the pandemic.

A HOSPICE charity is challenging residents to give themselves a lockdown haircut.

Learner drivers in England have had to put their plans to pass their driving test on hold as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

A LIB DEM motion to put  £100,000 in next year’s Dorset Council budget for climate change measures has been labelled ‘grandstanding’.

FOUR men have been jailed after posing as police officers to kidnap a victim from outside his Bridport home, then assaulting and blackmailing him.

BRIDPORT Town Council has called for 'major improvements' to Dorset's Local Plan saying it 'must do more to meet the town’s needs'.

THOSE who are due to receive their second dose of the coronavirus vaccine will get an invite to book an appointment shortly.

FIVE fire crews were needed to put out a large unattended bonfire in West Dorset.

AN APPLICATION to convert a former Beaminster church into two homes has been approved by Dorset Council.

APART from the enormous cost, disruption, carbon footprint, we should be aware of the safety aspect; not only to pedestrians, but the use of hydrogen as a fuel.

THERE have been 83 new coronavirus cases confirmed in Dorset over the last 24 hour period.

FOUR more coronavirus patients have died in Dorset hospitals over the last 24 hour period, official figures show.

I FEEL compelled to write about the wonderful people who have stood in the freezing cold, pouring rain and blustery winds

A POPULAR fast-food restaurant in Dorset has reopened to the public.

The Royal Mail has been the target of scammers and fraudsters before, and as such, has compiled helpful advice about staying safe.

THE RNLI has warned beach-goers going into the sea to take caution at this time of year - following the rescue of a teenager in Dorset.

AN ANNUAL event celebrating women will be held online for the first time.

UNPAID carers in Dorset can now get free personal protective equipment (PPE).

A NEW book on the proud history of army personnel from Dorset, Devon and Hampshire regiments and their involvement in the Second World War is due to be published next month.

MULTIPLE areas across Dorset have not recorded any new coronavirus clusters, according to the latest data.

ALL legal coronavirus restrictions could be lifted in England by June 21 as the Prime Minister outlined his roadmap out of lockdown.

The public inquiry which will decide the future of converted farmhouse in the centre of Bothenhampton is expected to take place in two months' time.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will outline his changes to lockdown on Monday, February 22.

A KEY route through Dorset was partially blocked after a crash.

PRIME Minister Boris Johnson is set to outline his vision to cautiously ease coronavirus restrictions in England.

Boris Johnson said the road map will “guide us cautiously but irreversibly towards reclaiming our freedoms”.

TWO more people have died with coronavirus at the University Hospitals Dorset Trust, latest figures show.

THERE were delays on a key Dorset route after it was partially blocked following a crash.

A PLAY area installed to aid the community is requesting feedback for its regulars as it puts in a bid for more play equipment.

A ROTARY club is hosting a silent auction to raise money for a number of good causes.

FEWER than 70 coronavirus cases were confirmed in Dorset over the last 24 hours, latest figures show.

ALMOST 200 patients with coronavirus are being treated across hospitals in Dorset, according to latest figures.