A POLICE detective accused of assaulting his estranged wife told officers in interview that he pushed her in self defence, a trial heard.

THE residents of Sandbanks are steeling for a battle with developers over plans to replace a historic hotel with a "soulless" block of flats.

ALLOTMENT owners in Poole say they are now scared to return to the plot after vandals destroyed greenhouses and wrecked flower beds over three nights on the Easter weekend.

THE owner of the new Bailey Bridge Marina said seeing people on their boats enjoying themselves in the marina was “heart-warming”.

BOSCOMBE’S high street has received another major boost with three new retailers opening in the centre of the town.

It was announced last week that Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole are to pilot a new scheme this summer which will see drones being used to monitor litter along the seafront.

DORSET Police are focussing on tackling antisocial behaviour in Sandbanks and have set up a new operation to help their cause.

A PROPERTY developer from Christchurch has acquired The Savoy Hotel on Bournemouth’s Westcliff with plans of investing £20m into the project.

BOURNEMOUTH & Poole College is one of 16 earmarked for major improvements in the latest phase of the government's Further Education Capital Transformation Fund.

A POSITIVE coronavirus case has been recorded at a Poole school and close contacts notified.

A GROUP of travellers have set up camp at a Bournemouth car park.

CREWS were called to trees on fire at a Bournemouth recreation ground.

ANTI-SOCIAL motorcyclists causing damage on a nature reserve are again being targeted by police.

YOUTHS were seen running away from a camp fire in Verwood's Potterne Park.

PORTLAND Port is looking forward to safely welcoming cruise passengers touring the British Isles this year.

The regulator stressed that this was not proof that the jab was the cause of the clots but conceded that the link was getting stronger.

Demand for driving tests is expected to soar with the lockdown restrictions halting lessons and tests for much of the past 12 months.

A NEW convenient store is to open on Ashley Cross in Poole tomorrow, bringing with it 15 new jobs to the local community.

UP to ten ‘affordable’ homes a week could completed in Dorset during the coming year.

PLANS to demolish a Bournemouth hotel and replace it with a block of flats have been rejected by BCP Council.

BOURNEMOUTH

WITH construction of the Port of Southampton’s fifth cruise terminal well underway, Associated British Ports is inviting readers to get involved with naming this new iconic port building .

The cash-saving guru regularly provides financial advice through weekly newsletter and TV appearances including his own ITV show.

BOURNEMOUTH has been named as one of the best places for seaside property in the country, according to new research.

NON-essential retail stores across the conurbation will be able to open from Monday, April 12 in the latest stage of lockdown easing.

NON-essential retailers will open their doors at the Dolphin Shopping Centre on Monday for the first time in three months.

Kind-hearted Ella Daly who spent her Christmas money making care packages for children has now raised more than £1,000 so she can keep going.

TWO Dorset parents have twice as many reasons to celebrate after welcoming twins at Poole Hospital.

THE one-year survival rate for bowel cancer patients in Dorset has improved, figures show.

WE’D like to thank you for your continued support for your local NHS.

THERE are six great reasons you need to nominate someone as an Everyday Hero in the Dorset Hero Awards 2021:

As a freeman of Wimborne, Chris Brown has the right to drive sheep through the town’s streets without charge.

A grey heron captured in flight over Longham Lakes by Echo Camera Club member Nigel Morris.

I WAS travelling on the No. 50 Morebus to Swanage the other day and I sat chatting to a lovely couple who informed me about FJB group owners of the three hotels in Sandbanks wanting to demolish the Haven Hotel and replace it with exclusive flats, ...

HAS anybody else had enough of our pavements being dug up?

VANDALS wrecked allotments causing thousands of pounds worth of damage over three consecutive nights.

A MOTORCYCLIST suffered serious injuries in a four-vehicle crash near Christchurch this afternoon.

A police detective has gone on trial accused of pushing his wife to the ground causing an injury to her head, hand and shoulder.

A PETITION has been launched by Old Christchurch Road residents to "save" Dalkeith Steps from anti-social behaviour.

DORSET's 'most dangerous' roads in 2020 have been revealed – with one road having more than double the number of crashes and casualties than any other in the county.

THE deputy leader of BCP Council has suggested one of Bournemouth’s main shopping streets could be transformed to focus on restaurants by allocating part of the road for outdoor eating.

FEWER THAN 30 coronavirus cases were confirmed across Dorset in the last 24 hours, latest figures show.

A MAN who was banned from a Bournemouth road for a year after repeated anti-social behaviour has been jailed for eight weeks for breaching a restraining order.

NO new coronavirus- related deaths have been reported in hospitals in Dorset, latest figures show.