PUB landlords are looking forward to reopening in the coming months - although many have concerns about how busy April will be as customers will not be allowed inside the venues.

A man shouted racist abuse at a family and spat at a woman in the group while they were shopping in Bridport town centre, a court heard.

MORE than 30 locations in Dorset have recorded fewer than three cases in the latest weekly reporting period, an interactive map has revealed.

TWO dangerous wild animals are being privately kept in west Dorset – as a wildlife charity calls for the Government to change rules on keeping such creatures in private captivity.

OFFICERS have located three of their most wanted people so far this week thanks to support from the public - now they are looking for the remaining seven.

A BRIDPORT holiday business is applying for a drinks licence – for the alcohol it intends to put in guest hampers.

LIVES were put at risk with more than 170 hoax calls made to Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue service in a year.

Caroline Buchanan is our Agony Aunt at the Dorset Echo. She’ll be helping readers with their problems on a weekly basis.

I WROTE this column on Tuesday, just before the Budget which I will comment on next week. But rest assured that I continue to make representations to the Treasury as to what support we need for our unique community here in Dorset.

At the start of the pandemic, routine cancer screening was temporarily suspended.

AN INDEPENDENT review of how Dorset Police issued fines to repeat offenders throughout the pandemic has found officers acted 'reasonably and proportionately'.

A HOTLINE set up to help people with digital enquiries has seen the number of calls it receives almost triple during this latest lockdown.

A NUMBER of contracts have been approved by Dorset Council – the largest being £42m for children’s home placements over a seven-year period.

BRIDPORT chairman Adrian Scadding is grateful to his busy Bees behind the scenes as improvements to St Mary’s Field continue.

A SECTION of a Beaminster road is now closed for a month - with a seven-and-a-half mile diversion route in place.

FIREFIGHTERS were called to a fire caused by a clothes basket left on top of an oven.

DORSET Council is being asked to consider its own application to convert West Rivers House at West Allington from four flats into eight.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, set to announce his Budget to create and save jobs and revive the economy following the coronavirus pandemic

THE MAYOR of Bridport has spoken of he importance of trees and the 'vital' role they play in sustains the planet.

POLICE are appealing to the public after a tractor was stolen from a rural area in West Dorset.

A FOUR-DAY jazz and blues spectacular will be going ahead in May, subject to Covid restrictions.

Changes have been made to a 32-home scheme at Manor Farm, Winterbourne Abbas.

EIGHT more coronavirus deaths have been recorded at Dorset hospitals in the latest 24 hour period.

It's World Book Day today, and we can't wait to see your amazing costumes!

Employees will continue to receive 80% of their salary for hours not worked until the scheme ends.

RESIDENTS are being encouraged to join a discussion on how litter can be reduced in Bridport.

MORE than 12,000 comments were submitted by businesses and residents as part of the consultation on Dorset Council's Climate and Ecological Emergency Strategy.

MORE than 800 people who went missing as they approached crisis point have been supported by a scheme aimed at preventing suicides.

Ofgem said suppliers including the Big Six firms such as British Gas, npower and EDF overcharged customers £7.2 million over seven years.

The Mint is inviting nominations for recipients of a brilliant uncirculated £5 commemorative coin featuring a design by heraldic artist Timothy Noad.

ARMED police swooped on Bridport following reports of a knifeman threatening people.

A LONG-AWAITED film partially filmed in Lyme Regis is set to bypass cinemas and go straight to streaming services later this month.

BRIDPORT Medical Centre has urged patients to attend their Covid-19 vaccination appointments as the number of people not attending rises.

I HEARD that Jaguar cars are turning fully electric by 2025.

MORE than 97 per cent of young people across Dorset have been offered their first choice of secondary or upper school in September.

ANOTHER town market has been cancelled after being unable to put on regular events since the start of the pandemic.

WITH non-essential shops are closed throughout the country, a Bridport book shop is running a click-and-collect service.

JUST 34 new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Dorset over the last 24 hour period.

ONE new coronavirus death has been recorded at Dorset County Hospital in the latest 24-hour period, official figures show.

TENS of thousands of households in Dorset will be impacted if the £20-a-week uplifts to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit are not extended in the Budget, analysis suggests.

DORSET & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is encouraging members of the public to consider becoming an on-call firefighter as part of a national campaign.

DOZENS of voluntary and community organisations that have been impacted due to the Covid pandemic are being boosted with hundreds of thousands of pounds of grant funding from Dorset Council.

DEMAND for shepherds’ huts and cabins has soared throughout lockdown, according to one Dorset business.

THERE are 18 areas in Dorset which have reported no coronavirus clusters according to latest statistics – as Covid-19 cases decrease in the county.

TWO LOCAL organisations are teaming up to provide support for families in need.

AN ARTIST has launched a new project which will see her paint portraits of local people who volunteer for the lifeboat.

STAFF and volunteers at Citizens Advice Dorset hear stories every day of families whose lives have been turned upside down by this pandemic.

THE pandemic has meant for many, a sea change, in terms of their attitudes as to what is important to them in their lives.

MORE than 97 per cent of young people across Dorset have been offered their first choice of secondary or upper school in September.

A WALKING initiative has been launched for those looking for a 'breath of fresh air' during lockdown.