DRUG education in Dorset is to be extended to junior schools.

Chris Packham has vowed to boycott a Pret A Manger.

Calls for greater water safety have been renewed after four people were rescued from the sea at Lepe Beach, just weeks after a teenager died at Testwood Lakes.

A "rare" New Forest investment property including a wine bar with a courtyard and four flats has been listed for over a million pounds.

Knoll Beach and Hive Beach featured on The Times and The Sunday Times 50 Best UK Beaches for 2026 list

Drivers in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole face road closures and temporary traffic lights in June due to BCP Council and utility roadworks. Expect delays.

Dorset Police is supporting a national month-long road safety operation to improve road safety, focusing on common and dangerous driving behaviours.

A music festival has hit a major fundraising milestone after raising more than £1 million for children with cancer.

Dorset Coroner issues next of kin appeal for Martyn Ralph Fenwick, 67, who died in Poole. Public urged to contact authorities with family details.

Margaret Green Animal Rescue has launched an exclusive auction for a pair of custom hand-painted Adidas football boots inspired by Lionel Messi.

The Old School House Boscombe is hosting ‘This is us’, an exhibition by artists from Make Art: Bournemouth, run by charity Outside In. August 3-September 17.

Residents are being invited to explore Swanage's changing coastline as part of a new partnership between Future Coast North Swanage and Coasts in Mind.

West Road in Bransgore will close for up to 12 days from 13 July 2026 for fibre installation works by 4-Site Fibre Ltd, says Hampshire County Council.

SO-BOHO LTD seeks a premises licence to sell alcohol from 8am–11pm at SO'BOHO, 85 Southbourne Grove, Bournemouth. Have your say by July 21.

Ringwood Road in Poole closes northbound 13 July–28 August for BCP Council highway upgrades. Diversions in place; full overnight closure 10–13 August.

More than £13,000 has been raised to support patients with breast cancer.

Aldi has slashed the price of it's viral beer dispenser to give football fans the pub  experience at home.

TikTok has partnered with the RNLI and donated £400,000  in hopes to target young people with water safety messages on social media.

A disabled man in his 40s was allegedly attacked by his neighbour with a hammer whilst walking to the shop to collect items for a family barbecue.

A renowned retailer that collapsed into administration after 146 years owed more than £59 million.

A fire has broken out in Kennington Road, Poole and has reportedly impacted a recycling centre.

A council leader has stressed the importance of protecting services as major changes to local government get under way.

A milestone moment for a South West theatre company sees a Bournemouth performer set to appear on stage in Edinburgh.

A FOREST fire is believed to have been started deliberately.

A MAN has been left with serious injuries following an assault outside a supermarket.

A man in his 30s was reportedly seen chasing a woman down the street before being being found in possession of a suspected class A drug and arrested on suspicion of a public order offence in Dorchester.

Go Ape at Moors Valley Park in Dorset launches adults-only sessions for the first time, and will host these sessions on Thursdays and Fridays until August 31.

Oceanarium Bournemouth has partnered with the Bourne Free charity to take part in the Bournemouth Pride Festival 2026, which runs from July 10, to July 12.

The Shake & Stir Armed Forces Weekender in Southbourne took place on June 27 and June 28 and was the only official Armed Forces Day event held in BCP.

Canford Tankers Ltd in Wimborne seeks an operating licence for a goods vehicle at Rogarnet, Three Legged Cross. Public representations invited by 17 July 2026.

Plants and Minds, which operates Cherry Tree Nursery in Bournemouth and Chestnut Nursery in Poole, is seeking new trustees and a chair.

Edwardian silver centrepiece by Walker & Hall to headline Charterhouse’s Sherborne auction of silver, jewellery and watches on 22–23 July.

This year’s Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show has reduced adult advance ticket prices from £20 to £17, following the Government’s new Great British Savings scheme.

Dorset Council announces summer 2026 closures of footpaths, bridleways and roads in Horton, Verwood and Bryanston for National Grid works and resurfacing.

From September, the South West will offer the RSV vaccine from NHS to people aged 65 to 74 with a chronic respiratory condition or suppressed immune system

A by-election is on the cards just months after a councillor was elected.

The parents of a university student who died after contracting meningitis have said that the new vaccine rollout feels 'bittersweet', but it's a 'good start'.

A musician is set to take to the stage after nearly four decades battling illness.

A Bournemouth sex shop has applied to extend its licence amid community support.

PUPILS celebrated the end of Year 11 at Bournemouth School for Girls and Bournemouth School prom

Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick has “concerns” about the government’s “last-minute” decision to allow pubs to remain open for the England game in the early hours of Monday morning.

A new ramen shop has opened in Bournemouth, promising rich bowls of Japanese comfort food inspired by Kyoto.

Controversial plans for 82 homes next to a hospice have been given the green light on appeal, overturning a council refusal after years of opposition.

Traffic is queueing on the A31 westbound with reports of an incident this morning

The Cherries officially broke ground on their Vitality Stadium redevelopment last week, as a new era at the stadium begins - the Daily Echo looks back on when the old Dean Court was demolished.

Multiple people were in difficulty in the water at a New Forest beach today, sparking an emergency services callout

Firefighters were called to a New Forest branch of Waterstones after an arson attack that caused damage totalling almost £40,000

Two people in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole ended up collecting prizes of £50,000 in the July 2026 draw for the Premium Bonds

A few postcodes across Dorset won prizes in the People's Postcode Lottery in June 2026, including in Bournemouth, Poole and Dorchester

There is anger today after a seaside beauty spot was taken over by an eyesore illegal encampment - complete with a three-seater sofa.