Local news for the Dorset Coast powered by the Echo

The River Stour and Christchurch Harbour matter. They are where children sail, families spend time together, and people connect with nature. I love spending time there myself.

Two young people who were clinging to a buoy in the main shipping channel of Poole Harbour were rescued from the ocean by Poole Lifeboat crew last night.

The following cases were heard at Weymouth Magistrates' Court:

Women will be offered legal guidance at a new festival focused on wellbeing and personal growth.

A £480,000 resurfacing scheme on Poole Road in Westbourne will begin on September 14, with work lasting eight weekdays.

Drivers are being warned of five nights of overnight closures on Fountain Way in Christchurch from September 14 to 18 while resurfacing and highway maintenance works are carried out.

A stolen vehicle has been recovered as part of ongoing efforts to tackle rural crime.

Dorset Police are appealing for information after burglars removed and stole a residential shed door on Foxholes Road at 12.59 a.m. on Friday 11 September.

After 35 years in the hospitality industry, Steve and Cherry Dyer have called last orders!

Surfers in Bournemouth are calling for urgent consultation over planned pier works, warning the removal of lower platforms could damage wave quality, harm tourism and affect the local community.

Bossa Nova jazz will take centre stage in a relaxed café setting.

Mystery surrounds the sudden closure of Isabel’s brasserie in Penn Hill, Poole, leaving local diners baffled and looking for answers

Officers have seized a motocross bike after it was ridden illegally in a public park in Ferndown.

A lifeboat crew was called out after reports of a capsized sailing dinghy.

Motorists face a diversion more than 13- miles-long when a Hampshire road is closed for drainage repairs.

The Royal Air Force will conduct a high-powered engine test on an A400M transport aircraft at Bournemouth Airport.

Thousands gather at Poole Quay for Seafood and Sounds festival 2026.

Dorset’s Stockford Lodge is a one-bedroom thatched cottage linked to James Bond inspiration and artist Augustus John, now a holiday home in East Stoke.

NUSARA Thai in Poole is ranked No.1 on Tripadvisor, with a 4.9 rating from 560+ reviews, praised for authentic food, warm service and atmosphere in Dorset.

A run between Swanage and Worth Matravers has been named among the UK's best coastal runs by Elise Downing of Live for the Outdoors

These old photos show the world-famous beauty spot of Lulworth Cove over the years

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.