Local news for the Dorset Coast powered by the Echo

Cut your energy bills with these seven expert tips that are easy to do around your home.

Only 1,500 first edition copies of J.R.R Tolkein’s The Hobbit were ever printed, and one was recently found and valued at £64,420.

The £12,570 Personal Allowance is frozen until 2031. A new petition is calling for it to rise automatically with inflation or wages.

A petition, signed by nearly 15,000 people, asked for a new ban to be introduced at supermarkets across the UK

St Aldhelm’s Academy in Poole drew large numbers of parents and prospective pupils from the local area on Wednesday, September 16.

Dorset Council announces road closures and speed restrictions in Verwood and Blandford Forum for National Grid and resurfacing works from 5–31 October 2026.

Forest Holme Hospice Charity has announced the Merry Mile, a family-friendly event taking place on Sunday, December 6

Anxiety, travel costs and a lack of accessible placements are blocking young carers in Dorset and their route into the workplace.

The Sundown Adventures will return to Go Ape Moors Valley from October 16, offering visitors the chance to tackle high ropes courses and zip lines in the dark

A care home has marked Mexican Independence Day with a day of music, food, and culture

A rare Easy Rider Billy Bike replica, built by Lucky Buck Custom Cycles, will be auctioned at Charterhouse, Haynes Motor Museum, 26 Nov. Estimate: £15k-£17k.

Tiny Italiano in Southbourne, Bournemouth, has applied to BCP Council for a premises licence to serve alcohol with food daily. Comments open until 30 September.

Vikki Slade MP has called for an urgent meeting with senior Post Office officials following the closure of Wareham Post Office.

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

Tides Cafe in Highcliffe has been earning praise for its welcoming atmosphere and quality brunches, among other factors

A man arrested at Bournemouth Airport on suspicion of rape was one of 19 people detained there over four years, according to a Dorset Police Freedom of Information response.

Relive Blandford Carnival 2001 in Dorset, from colourful floats and marching bands to an illuminated procession, despite a route change.

An 11-year-old young carer from Christchurch has been named the South West regional winner of the Young Person of the Year HAF Award and shortlisted for a national award.

Thousands packed Ringwood town centre on Saturday afternoon for the popular annual carnival.

A proposal to refurbish part of the O2 Academy in Bournemouth has been submitted to improve facilities at the venue.

Purbeck Cider launches People’s Choice cider in Dorset, donating £1 per litre sold to Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. Community-grown apples support charity.

Plans for a new 'build your own' waterfront home with panoramic views have been approved for a site in Dorset

Dorset is the location for Mike Leigh's Play For Today, Nuts in May, which is free to watch on BBC iPlayer

A YouTube video provides an insightful look at Brownsea Island in 1962.

Only Fools and Horses repeats are as popular as ever this Christmas - but did you know that the classic BBC comedy was not once, but twice filmed in Dorset?

Sandbanks Ferry staff were 'verbally abused' by passengers during a temporary suspension.

Hundreds of jobs are to be created at a holiday park as part of a major nationwide investment.

SHOULD there be a tourist tax in Purbeck – the “Purbeck Pound”?