ANY tax increases coming from a proposal to combine several local councils will be in the 'interest of fairness' say councillors, who have dismissed claims of extortionate rises.

TRIBUTES have been paid to a 'modest' and 'supportive' man who made a 'huge contribution' to Bridport

RAIL customers aged 60 and over can now save money on great days out with South Western Railway’s new Senior Savers Club.

A FISHERMAN who assaulted a man after drinking in Bridport town centre has been given a community order banning him from consuming alcohol in public.

A VISCOUNTESS is asking for the support of the public to help fund her new YouTube series on British country houses and estates.

PEOPLE across Dorset are being urged to 'save lives' and become organ donors after 35 patients across the county remain on the waiting list for a transplant.

A FIVE-DAY festival will be staged at locations across Dorset next month to showcase the county’s digital future.

ECO-HOMES in the Bridport area are opening their doors this weekend to showcase the ways in which they are saving energy and reducing their carbon footprint.

AN INTERNET provider is to create more than 100 jobs in the next 12 months as it accelerates the rollout of full fibre broadband.

AN AUCTION for walk on parts in a popular ITV drama raised more than £7,000 for an end of life charity.

CARER Support Dorset has begun an outreach project to help increase awareness of unpaid carers in Dorset’s rural communities.

EMERGENCY services were called to the scene of a crash in Bridport town centre this morning - with one eyewitness saying a van drove into a stationary truck carrying scaffolding.

EXCITEMENT is building as a west Dorset venue gets ready to host a high profile touring artwork which is likely to attract thousands of visitors.

COUNCILLORS have welcomed the filming of a Hollywood blockbuster in Lyme Regis.

A MAN has appeared in court accused of possessing hundreds of indecent images of children.

The BBC has released the tunes our favourite Strictly celebs will be performing to.

With an increased number of flies entering our homes this autumn, here's a number of household solutions to getting rid of them.

DORSET Council’s continuing delays in dealing with land searches has been described as 'just not good enough' – leading to a public apology.

COUNCILLORS have backed a campaign to save Bridport's traditional torchlight procession which is at risk of being cancelled.

A LOVE-LETTER to Marshwood Vale produced by a well-known filmmaker has been screened in Bridport.

GRANTS of up to £3,000 are available for grass roots groups working to build better communities across the county.

This week I published my response to the Department for Transport’s white paper on the new national bus strategy. In it I explain why I do not feel the strategy does enough to address problems with rural buses.

DORSET Police have vowed to continue ‘depriving criminals of their proceeds of crime’, as figures show they seized more than £100,000 last year.

THIS week I published my response to the Department for Transport’s white paper on the new national bus strategy. In it I explain why I do not feel the strategy does enough to address problems with rural buses.

AROUND one in 10 adults in Dorset have yet to receive a Covid-19 vaccine, figures suggest – as the Government launches plans to offer booster shots in the autumn.

Domestic abuse pushed Dorset people into homelessness or put them at risk of losing their homes more than 100 times during the coronavirus pandemic, figures reveal.

A NEW report by Action for Children is warning of a growing crisis facing support services for families.

BEAMINSTER captain Ross Baker has confirmed his decision to step down after seven years in the role, with Chris Park stepping up to replace him.

The claims come from his husband Tony after another Gogglebox cast member quit the show this week.

The long-awaited season 3 of RuPaul’s Drag Race has finally arrived. Our favourite drag competition is back on screens tonight, and we can’t wait.

A MAN has been charged following a reported break-in at a food kiosk in West Bay.

FOUR west Dorset roads blighted by potholes and other damage are set to be repaired this autumn in a project costing £760,000.

POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a car failed to stop at the scene of a crash.

A RIVERSIDE home featured in hit TV programme Broadchurch has been valued at almost 50 per cent higher than before the show hit TV screens.

MORE than 300 new Covid-19 cases have been recorded across Dorset within the last 24-hour period, according to the latest figures.

A MOTORCYCLIST was airlifted to hospital following a serious crash which led to a key route being closed for nearly four hours.

WHAT a depressing picture of Vearse Farm at Bridport; fourteen or fifteen fields surrounded by hedgerows and trees, all contributing to our welfare in so many ways, which developers want to cover in housing.

Martin Lewis, the MoneySavingExpert, has revealed his nine must-knows for dealing with the ongoing energy crisis.

This year wholesale prices have increased by 5% and 10% for Christmas trees which can take around 10 years to grow.

RETIRED people moving to Dorset have been defended by a senior councillor.

THE public are being alerted to the main examples of modern slavery.

More than a third of public buildings inspected in Dorset and Wiltshire last year were found in breach of fire safety regulations, figures reveal.

SOME DORSET professionals working with vulnerable families during the pandemic have been left exhausted, many still feeling anxious and a few ‘broken’ by the experience.

DORSET Council is to re-tender a £90,000 per year contract to supply services to the county’s voluntary sector after failing to find a bidder which met its criteria.

MORE than a third of people across the south west have fallen victim to some form of fraud, according to figures.

RESIDENTS and shop owners in Bridport are being encouraged to share their views on shopping in the town centre.

A THREE-WEEK Ofsted inspection of children’s services in Dorset started on Monday.

CITIZENS Advice is reminding people that the deadline is fast approaching for anyone on the Dorset Council social housing waiting list to re-apply to join the new housing register.

A SCOUT group is moving outside for its forthcoming fundraising event.

HUNDREDS of people across Dorset have lost their lives to suicide, the latest figures reveal.