A TEENAGER had to wait 316 days to receive mental health treatment after being referred in Dorset last year.

RESIDENTS in New Milton are “split down the middle” over plans to build a KFC restaurant in the town – with two petitions going head-to-head.

A POOLE grandmother wants to know if anyone can beat her record of living in the same house for 82 years – and is accepting applications for a gentleman to treat her to a blind date.

HOLIDAY makers in Dorset have spotted what they believe to be a small shark in the water close to where they were swimming in the waters at Durdle Door.

What sharks are found in UK waters?

FULL details of BCP Council's £3m Bounce Back grants to businesses across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole can be revealed today.

The full list of 'Bounce Back' grants given out by BCP Council is revealed by the Daily Echo today.

SOUTHBOURNE Coastguards were called to two incidents on Bournemouth beach on Saturday within a matter of minutes.

THE DIRECTOR of A1 Autocentre in Bournemouth has died aged 62 after a battle with cancer.

THOUSANDS of people attended the special heritage event at Poole Quay to celebrate the town’s role in World War II and the 75th anniversary of VJ Day.

ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour, domestic violence and a more visible and open police force are among the aims of Dorset’s new Chief Constable, Scott Chilton.

OVERNIGHT closures along the Wessex Way are to put in place from this evening as the council begin maintenance works on the busy arterial road.

TRIBUTES have poured in for Elizabeth Bath, wife of the late travel boss Peter Bath, who has died aged 95.

BOURNEMOUTH

A MAN was seen performing a sex act upon himself in the grounds of a Bournemouth church.

DOCTORS have called for a 'better understanding' of what GP surgeries are coping with – as figures reveal rising workloads across the region.

RESEARCH conducted by the charity Food Foundation and Sheffield University has revealed that the BCP area ranked the third highest in the country for people struggling to afford food.

A FORMER veteran from Bournemouth who helped raised tens of thousands of pounds to help homeless veterans in Dorset off the streets has died at the age of 62.

DORSET'S River Frome has seen the highest number of young salmon leave its waters in eight years.

Crowds of residents and visitors turned out for the Christchurch Carnival on The Quomps today.

Drivers are being told to check how petrol changes will affect their car

THOUSANDS of people could be risking their lives by not coming forward for medical treatment despite having possible cancer symptoms, it has been warned.

The following roadworks are being carried out within the BCP Council area by the council and various utility companies over the next few days:

DORSET dignitaries paid their respects to Romany, Gypsies and Travellers who lost their lives at the annual Dorset Roma Holocaust Memorial Service.

Do you remember when this sculpture graced our local beach? Thirty years ago, in June 1991, this wonderful sculpture by David Kemp turned heads on Bournemouth beach. Do you think we should have more sculptures on the beach?

A MAJOR initiative to boost in-store experiences in Bournemouth town centre has been launched.

A FORMER barman at Poole Lighthouse, who dreamt of one day returning to take to the stage, will soon achieve that goal.

Scientists have said any future Covid-19 variants could bypass the immunity built up by people getting the vaccine.

DEPUTY Leader of BCP Council Philip Broadhead has said “enough is enough” with the “absolutely unacceptable” spilling of sewage off Boscombe pier.

GETTING behind the wheel of a car under the influence of drink or drugs is a “recipe for disaster”.

WORK on the next part of BCP and Dorset Councils’ sustainable travel routes will start this month – and not be finished until summer 2022.

MORE than 350 new coronavirus cases have been recorded across Dorset, according to latest figures.

Which? conducted its Cheapest Supermarket price comparison looking at the cost of a basket of 20 items, including groceries and household essentials.

A LARGE car park has been closed for the second day in a row as tourists flock to Swanage.

POLICE have launched an investigation into claims of animal cruelty caused by a group of teenagers in Poole.

MARVELLOUS Markets returns to Bournemouth this weekend to help “animate the high street”.

A FEMALE Dorset police officer was 'physically picked up and thrown to the ground' during an altercation involving three men, the force's Assistant Chief Constable has revealed.

NO less a subject than the future of humanity on Earth was the most important news affecting business this week.

A PROPERTY in a desirable Dorset village could be yours for just £200,000 – but it requires complete modernisation.

IT IS fair to say there is plenty to see and do in Dorset.

A CONVENIENCE store in Bournemouth has applied for permission to sell alcohol 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The trial aims to find out how they could mitigate the transmission of coronavirus and other respiratory diseases in schools.

Levels of coronavirus infection remain high across much of the UK, according to the latest data.

An investigation has been launched after police in Bournemouth stopped a young person seen riding a suspected stolen bike.

FIREFIGHTERS were called to the Poole yesterday evening after a fire broke out on the Alder Hills Nature Reserve.

THOUSANDS of people stormed Upton Country Park for the inaugural Upton House Food & Drink Festival.

The “miracle” mouse was kept in an incubator and fed goats milk on a tiny make-up bush.

SCOTT Parker admitted he had a pre-match “dilemma” on his hands as to whether to include Leif Davis in Cherries’ squad – but hailed the young defender as “brilliant” in the latter stages at Nottingham Forest.

The Gardeners' World presenter talks to Hannah Stephenson about her Chelsea show garden, which will be moved to a mental health unit afterwards.

A SCHOOL in Christchurch, which provides education for up to 100 autistic children and young people, is to offer the Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) award for the first time from September 2021.