A HEADMASTER has described home learning as “a poor substitute for face-to-face teaching” as schools wait to find out when pupils can return to the classroom.

Tens of thousands of international passengers have passed through Bournemouth Airport during the pandemic, figures suggest.

A MAN who smashed up two betting machines at a Bournemouth bookmakers has been jailed for a series of crimes.

A COUNCILLOR who, it was claimed, made “racist and xenophobic” comments at a meeting last week has been cleared of wrongdoing.

The latest headlines on coronavirus in Dorset and the rest of the UK

THREE fire crews responding to alarms at student accommodation found they had been set off by someone vaping.

AN INTOXICATED man kicked a French Bulldog outside a Christchurch shop.

THREE more schools have been forced to ask vulnerable pupils and children of key workers to stay at home due to coronavirus cases.

Around one in 10 local areas are continuing to see a rise in rates.

Virgin Media has said its new 5G service will be available to customers on a range of plans, for no additional cost.

Coronavirus is capable of infecting a wide range of species, meaning there is a significant risk of transmission to humans through their pets.

WORK on a busy Christchurch roundabout is set to cause disruption to drivers as the roundabout is partially closed over five days.

Taxpayers are still obliged to pay their bill by January 31. Interest will be charged from February 1 on any outstanding liabilities.

A 'DEVIOUS' burglar has been jailed and banned from door to door sales for a string of offences in Bournemouth.

IT HAS long been famous for its scenic views and picture perfect villages, plus the free-roaming animals that mingle with residents and visitors alike.

A PRIMARY school in Christchurch is set to become a larger satellite site to increase special educational needs and disability spaces across the conurbation.

DOZENS of teachers across Dorset were absent because of coronavirus on just one day before Christmas, new figures reveal.

OUTLINE proposals to build up to 38 homes on grassland alongside the A35 have been granted formal planning permission– four years after the application was first submitted.

COUPLES can now walk down the aisle at The Tank Museum, as the venue becomes one of the latest Dorset attractions to offer wedding ceremonies.

Hundreds of vulnerable youngsters and children of key workers are self-isolating due to cases of coronavirus in schools across Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and the rest of Dorset.

Shelleys at Highcliffe Bakery is our Trader of the Week as it continues to offer an extraordinary range of traditional and artisan fare during the current lockdown.

COLUMNIST and trained counsellor Fiona Caine offers guidance to a woman finding it tough living with her mum, and another worried she’s pregnant.

IT has been a difficult and stressful several months, yet despite this many smokers have made it their New Year’s resolution to try to quit, a very laudable aspiration.

A NEW not-for-profit contemporary art gallery and store is coming to Poole - but it needs help from residents to start its work in the community.

RED noses, painted faces and bendy balloons were the order of the day when child entertainers tried to prove they were the best in the business.

RESIDENTS and visitors are being asked to help shape the future of a local nature reserve in Purbeck.

THE number of new companies formed in Dorset fell last year as the county grappled with the pandemic crisis.

A GROUP of town councillors have been tasked with defining what is meant by ‘climate emergency’.

A CHARITY that works to provide interactive storytelling sessions to children and older people has continued throughout the pandemic.

PROPERTY prices across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole have rocketed by more than seven per cent in a year.

TWO watches are set to sell for up to a combined £10,000 when they go up for auction in Dorset next month.

THE former chief executive and town clerk of Christchurch Borough Council said he was “stunned” and “speechless” when told about being made a Freeman.

HERE are six gorgeous photos taken by members of the Echo Camera Club.

Something to make you smile captured by Mazz Blehs of the Echo Camera Club of a group of sparrows enjoying bath time at Mudeford Quay.

BOURNEMOUTH faces a bigger challenge than anywhere else in the south west if it is to recover from the impact of the Covid crisis, it is claimed.

TOWING powers to remove cars parked illegally across the conurbation will continue to be used this year, council chiefs have confirmed.

A SPEEDING car crashed into a parked vehicle after refusing to stop for police.

NEW "over-elaborate" road markings have been slammed as a "shocking waste of money" and a distraction to drivers.

A MAN was reported for breaching Covid regulations after he admitted travelling to Mudeford via Wales from Newcastle.

A CARER who committed fraud by using a woman's bank card to withdraw £500 following her death will not have to pay any compensation.

FEWER than 300 coronavirus cases were confirmed across Dorset in the last 24 hours, latest figures show.

TWO further coronavirus deaths have been recorded at University Hospitals Dorset in the last 24 hours.

DEBENHAMS has been wound up by a judge who described it as “rudderless ship”.