http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk 60 http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=862 lsquoKIDS FOR pound1rsquo ADDED VALUE PROMOTION LAUNCHES THE SWANAGE RAILWAY'S NEW 2012 OPERATING SEASON Dedicated volunteers have unveiled a special lsquoKids for pound1rsquo added value promotion to launch the Swanage Railway's new 2012 operating season on the award-winning six-mile relaid Purbeck Line The offer runs on Saturdays and Sundays from 3 to 18 March, 2012, and marks the full re-opening of the volunteer-run Swanage Railway after the successful completion of a major and ambitious pound100,000 eight-week drainage upgrade project at Swanage station Over the three weekends, children aged from five to 16 can travel on a single or return ticket between Norden Park Ride, Corfe Castle, Harman's Cross, Herston Halt and Swanage for just pound1 if they are accompanied by an adult Day Rover tickets are excluded from the special added value promotion and children under the age of five always travel for free Swanage Railway commercial manager Martin Payne said: quotThe current economic climate means there is financial pressure on families so we're happy make it easier for families to visit and enjoy Corfe Castle and Swanage by steam train We hope our 'Kids for pound1' promotion from 3 to 18 March will help launch our new 2012 season which will see some 2,800 mostly steam-hauled trains clock up a total of almost 17,000 miles ndash that's two thirds of the way around the worldquot Because the Swanage Railway has had to undertake the extensive and major pound100,000 eight-week drainage system replacement work at Swanage station, the usual half-term steam train services in mid-February have not been able to run But, a diesel rail bus shuttle train service is still running at the other end of the Swanage Railway ndash between Norden Park Ride and Corfe Castle stations on Saturdays and Sundays until 26 February, 2012 inclusive and including the whole of the half-term week The diesel rail bus shuttle trains depart Norden Park Ride and Corfe Castle every 30 minutes between 10 45am and 3 55pm Tickets are pound1 for an adult single and pound2 for an adult return ndash with children travelling free of charge Martin Payne explained: quotThe diesel railcar shuttle service between Norden Park Ride and Corfe Castle is ideal for visiting the Medieval ruins and the quaint stone-roofed village while there is convenient and inexpensive attended car parking at Norden rdquo lsquoKids for pound1rsquo tickets are not valid outside the promotional period 3 to 18 March, 2012, and they are not valid with any other Swanage Railway offer After 35 years of rebuilding work, the Swanage Railway carries more than 200,000 passengers a year and has become the most visited paid-for attraction in Dorset Contributing around pound10 million to the Purbeck economy, profits from the Swanage Railway's train services are ploughed back into the development and extension of the heritage railway and its facilities The Swanage Railway is run by some 500 regular volunteers ndash assisted by a team of more than 30 paid staff ndash and the value of the volunteers' work is some pound2 million a year if they were paid Full Swanage Railway service and special event details are available from the Swanage Railway on 01929 475207 ndash or by visiting www swanagerailway co uk Photograph credited to Andrew P M Wright Purbeck Gazette Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=861 Fashion, fish, farming and football - and all before lunch I've recently taken over as the presenter of the Big Dorset Brunch programme on BBC Radio Solent and already every week I'm amazed by the fabulous range of fascinating stories we get on the show And I've worked as a journalist for over 14 years so that really is saying something We broadcast live from the BBC's charming Dorchester studio the TARDIS-like kitchen-in-a-cupboard really does have to be seen to be believed on a Saturday morning We're on air from 8am-11am on 103 8FM and the programme is only available here in the beautiful 'Hardy country' parts of Dorset There's also a highlights podcast which goes up online and on iTunes a couple of hours after the show ends It's wonderfully popular - When I started asking podcast listeners to get in touch I received emails from as far afield as Connecticut, Ottawa and Istanbul, all from Dorset expats who still like to hear local news from home I live in Swanage with my partner Reece and our little son Harrison I'd like to tell you that he is soothed by the sound of his mummy's voice on the radio but frankly most of the time he's far too busy trying to eat daddy's mobile to notice Anyway please turn on, tune in, download - and get in touch whenever there's something you'd like us to cover Zoe Kleinman, BBC Dorset Brunch You can listen to the podcast by clicking on the link on the Purbeck Gazette's homepage You can email dorset@bbc co uk or just come up and say hello if you spot me pottering around in Purbeck I promise not to let the baby have a chew on your phone Purbeck Gazette Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=860 Public Warned Not to Fall Victim to Credit Card Scams Police are encouraging the public to be on their guard against credit card scams, after two recent offences targeted older members of the community in Bournemouth The two offences, which both took place over the past month, start with the victims receiving a telephone call from someone claiming to be from their bank In both cases, the caller stated that the victimrsquos debit or credit card was about to expire and that a new one would be sent to them via a courier The caller then asked for the victimrsquos pin number Both of the victims gave their pin numbers to the caller The next day, someone claiming to be the courier attended the victimrsquos home address and exchanged the old card for a new one The victims have then had money taken out of their accounts Debbie Oldfield, Dorset Police Crime Prevention Advisor, said: ldquoThese are callous crimes which appear to have deliberately targeted older members of the community It is so important that people do not hand over their pin numbers or bank cards to anyone, no matter how genuine they appear to be Your bank will not ask for your pin number or any personal information over the telephone I am particularly keen to encourage family and friends of older or vulnerable members of our community to help them and ensure that they don't fall victim to these sorts of scams If you believe that you may have been a victim of a scam like this, then Irsquod urge you to call Dorset Police on 101 immediately rdquo Purbeck Gazette Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=859 Police in Bournemouth are becoming increasingly concerned for the welfare of a missing man ndash with officers releasing a picture of the holidaymaker Philip Barnard, from London and aged 62, has been staying at a hotel near Branksome Dean Chine with his wife for the past few days He was due to return to the hotel at around 3pm yesterday, Monday 13 February 2012 ndash he did not return and his family are concerned for his welfare Sergeant Andy Lovering, of Bournemouth police, said: ldquoI understand that Philip has been rather confused of late and he is not familiar with the local area The fact that he has not made contact with his wife and has not returned to their accommodation is most unusual and clearly a cause for concern rdquo Philip is white, around six feet two inches tall, of a slim build, with dark grey hair that is balding on the top He was wearing a black hooded jacket, black jeans and brown shoes He may have been wearing glasses Sergeant Lovering continued: ldquoI am appealing for anyone who has seen Philip, or knows of his whereabouts, to contact Dorset Police as soon as possible I would urge Philip to get in contact with us ndash you are not in any trouble, we simply want to know that you are safe and well rdquo Anyone with any information or knowledge as to Philiprsquos whereabouts should call Dorset Police on 101, quoting incident number 13:402 Purbeck Gazette Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=857 Trains to Wareham One Step Closer with BP to Pay For a pound500,000 Level Crossing Near Corfe Castle Regular trains from Swanage to Wareham are one step closer with oil giant BP announcing that it is to pay for the construction and maintenance of a crucial pound500,000 level crossing on the award-winning Swanage Railway just north of Corfe Castle Swanage Railway supporters have been campaigning to re-instate a regular train service between Swanage and Wareham after the last British Rail train controversially ran between the two Purbeck towns on New Year's Day 1972 The full-barrier level crossing with lights on the access road to the Swanage Railway's Norden Park Ride station and the Wytch Farm oil field is required before regular trains can run between Wareham, Corfe Castle and Swanage The level crossing funding announcement was made by BP's North Sea regional president Trevor Garlick at a special Wytch Farm history celebration evening in Furzebrook village hall The pound500,000 'legacy' donation comes after BP sold its majority shareholding in, and operation of, the Wytch Farm oilfield north of Corfe Castle ndash the largest on-shore oilfield in Western Europe ndash to Anglo-French oil company Perenco during December, 2011 The Swanage Railway Company's volunteer chairman Peter Sills, from Wareham, said: quotThis is a very kind and generous legacy act by BP which means that regular trains are one step closer to running between Swanage, Corfe Castle and Wareham for the first time since January, 1972 One of several line improvements required before regular trains can run from Wareham to Corfe Castle and Swanage, the pound500,000 Norden level crossing is due to be built by contractors on behalf of ndash and in liaison with ndash the Swanage Railway's signalling department with completion due in May, 2013 rdquo The Swanage Railway's volunteer Project Wareham director Mark Woolley, from Swanage, explained: quotThe other improvements needed before regular trains can run to Wareham are the re-signalling of Worgret Junction on the main line near Wareham ndash due to be completed by Network Rail by May, 2013 ndash and the upgrade of the three-mile Network Rail single line between Worgret Junction and the Swanage Railway at Motala near Furzebrook quot During the recent Wytch Farm history celebration evening, BP North Sea regional president Trevor Garlick said: ldquoBP is delighted to be able to announce our agreement with the Dorset County Council, Perenco, and the Wytch Farm partners to fund the Norden level crossing ndash a critical milestone in realising plans to reopen the railway line between Wareham and Swanage We hope this goes some way to improving transport links and reducing traffic congestion for the people in Purbeck and for visitors long term Wytch Farm is a special part of BPrsquos history and we are pleased to be able to leave this lasting contribution rdquo Currently, only occasional charter trains from other parts of the country to Corfe Castle and Swanage via Wareham use the three-mile Network Rail single line between Worgret Junction and Motala Thanks to the Purbeck Community Rail Partnership discussion forum, Dorset and Purbeck councils have pledged up to pound3 million for Network Rail to re-signal Worgret Junction so regular trains can run from Wareham to Swanage The Worgret Junction re-signalling will be paid for from a transport development fund which property developers in the Purbeck area pay into ndash the money being collected by Purbeck District Council and spent by Dorset County Council as the transport authority for Purbeck Working to re-establish a regular train service from Swanage to Wareham, the Purbeck Community Rail Partnership is composed of the Swanage Railway, Dorset County Council, Purbeck District Council, Network Rail, South West Trains, Perenco and the Borough of Poole Mr Garlick made his announcement on Thursday, 19 January, 2012 Photo of the Norden crossing ndash showing Peter Sills left Mark Woolley right of the Swanage Railway ndash credited to Andrew P M Wright Purbeck Gazette Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=858 Police in Blandford are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information to come forward after a theft in Stourpaine The incident, in which seven brass vases, part of a lectern and a desk lectern were stolen from the Holy Trinity Church on Manor Road, happened between 2pm on Monday 30 January 2012 and 8 30am on Tuesday 31 January 2012 Police Constable Craig Cameron, of Blandford police, said: ldquoFlowers from the vases have been found on the floor The brass lectern was made within the local community and has been in the church for over 100 years This incident has been very upsetting for the community as they now have to strongly consider locking up the church at all times preventing anyone from attending at their convenience to worship or simply visit a beautiful local church I am appealing for anyone who witnessed any suspicious activity in or around the church during the time to contact police as soon as possible Anyone with information about the offenders should contact Dorset Police urgently rdquo Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police in confidence on 101 quoting incident number 1:258 Alternatively, call the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111 where mobile phone tariffs may apply Purbeck Gazette Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=854 Dorset's own popular children's folk hero, Scary Bones the Skeleton, will be out and about again during half term week Accompanied by his creator and author Ron Dawson, Scary Bones will be chatting to fans, signing books and having photographs taken The friendly duo will be at the National Trust on Studland Beach on Friday 17th February as part of the Trust's 'Pirates Week' and at Waterstones Bookshop in Dorchester on Saturday 18th from 10 30 until 2 00 www mulberrytreebooks co uk Publishers of the 'Amazing Adventures of Scary Bones the Skeleton' 1 The Lost Dog and Bone, May 2009, 2 Scary Bones meets the Pirates of Brownsea Island Oct 2009 3 Scary Bones meets the Dinosaurs of the Jurassic Coast April 2010 4 Scary Bones meets the Wacky Witches of Wareham Jan 2011 5 Scary Bones meets the Nasty Romans of Maiden Castle June 2011 All available from : www mulberrytreebooks co uk www amazon com Also available via National Trust Gift Shops Purbeck Gazette Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=855 Friday 10th February sees the end of the Gypsy and Traveller consultation in Dorset The consultation involves all of Dorsetrsquos councils, including the unitaries of Bournemouth and Poole, working together on a Joint Development Plan DPD to meet local needs for traveller pitches over the next 15 years Since June 2010, independent consultants Baker Associates have been talking to landowners, Gypsies and Travellers and interest groups to draw up a shortlist of possible locations for Dorset Under the terms of the Housing Act 2004, local authorities must assess the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers and identify where new pitches should be located Having more official permanent and transit sites will enable the police to use enhanced powers to move on illegally-camped Travellers much more quickly, as well as giving travelling communities access to services, healthcare and education The first round of consultation ends on Friday 10th February ndash so residents have until that time to respond to the proposed sites Feedback will be considered by the consultants before a revised site shortlist is published in the summer for councils to consider A further round of public consultation will follow the councilsrsquo consideration of this revised list To respond to the consultation, or to find more information on proposed sites in your area, go to www dorsetforyou com/gypsyandtravellersites You can also give your views in writing to: Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople consultation County Hall Dorchester Dorset DT1 1XJ Purbeck Gazette Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=856 POLICE in Lancashire are appealing for information about a man who is wanted on prison recall David Kean, 40, whose last known address was Olive Lane, Darwen was originally jailed for a burglary at Hyndburn Magistrates Court in January 2010 when he was jailed for six months He was released from prison on early release licence but has failed to keep to the conditions of his prison licence and so has been recalled to prison Kean is described as white, around five feet nine inches tall, of stocky build with a shaved head He has a number of tattoos including a black panther on his upper left arm, Chinese writing on his right shoulder, and an oriental dragon tattoo on his upper right arm Inspector John Clucas said: ldquoFrom what we know about Kean so far, we believe he attempts to make contact with women in different areas of the country through various social networks on the internet, he then befriends these women, starts a relationship with them, visits them, and then eventually steals from them before moving on ldquoI would urge people to be vigilant and report any sightings to police Any details the public may have could be crucial It is not clear if he has returned to Lancashire area and so I would appeal to people all over the country to contact us if they think they have seen him, have been contacted by him or have any information that might help us locate him rdquo Information can be passed to the local police on 101 or it can be passed via Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 Purbeck Gazette Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=853 A local engineer has provided the Purbeck population with an excellent source of information when it comes to the Navitus Windpark proposed for the Purbeck coastline Despite much discussion on the subject in recent months, clear visual representations of the proposed wind park have been difficult to find, leading to some confusion as to how large the park will be and the actual impact of it on the World Heritage coastline and views Now, using up-to-date technology available, locals are able to see the Navitus Windpark as it will realistically look when in place, from a variety of locations from Studland bay to differing locations around Swanage The new website, ChallengeNavitus provides a wealth of information for residents, as well as offering some stunning, and to scale, short filmclips of the Windfarm in situe Each and every one of you who have an interest in the proposed Windfarm should take the two minutes required to take a look at the filmclips Each clip complies to industry guidelines, and gives you details of the distance from the screen you should maintain to get the exact view you would see in real-time, should you be stood in that location, viewing the Windpark when it is eventually erected Visit the website by clicking on 'ChallengeNavitus' above Picture used alongside website editorial is for illustration purposes only and does NOT comply to industry guidelines!! Purbeck Gazette Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=851 Britain's Got Talent, but 90 per cent in the South West have no place to go to, says JTL As we celebrate Apprenticeship Week, research shows a lack of bank credit is preventing employers in the South West from taking on apprentices JTL, the leading training charity for the building services engineering sector, warns that British banks are blocking businesses in the South West from providing employment opportunities for young people, as they refuse to provide credit support JTL South West regional manager Martin Challinor says: ldquoNational Apprenticeship Week is a great opportunity to celebrate our young people We want to thank all our employers for their support, and encourage those who arenrsquot providing apprenticeship places to come and talk to us about how we can help rdquo In a JTL poll of regional employers in the heating, plumbing and electrical sector, an overwhelming majority 92 per cent said that they would like to take on an apprentice if they had the resources to do so However, 68 per cent of those respondents said they had no plans to take on an apprentice in 2012 The survey found that bank support ndash or the lack of it ndash was a major issue, with nearly half 44 per cent of those polled saying that more banking support would enable them to win more work and so take on apprentices JTL now urges the Government to use National Apprenticeship Week as an opportunity to pressure banks to make more credit available Challinor says: ldquoFirms in our sector only get paid when a contract is complete So to win work, they need cash up-front to pay staff and buy materials In these thorny economic times, many SMEs donrsquot have this cash to hand and so desperately need support from the banks but this has all but dried up As a result, firms canrsquot even bid for new work, let alone take on a new staff member to train up rdquo Challinor adds that the challenge of attracting young people to apprenticeships has been tackled effectively in recent years through campaigns such as National Apprentice Week But at the same time, he believes there is much more to do Challinor says that last year, JTL received 25,000 applications for only 2,500 electrical, heating and plumbing places, meaning 90 per cent of applicants had to be turned away He continues: quotItrsquos tantamount to fraud that young people are being pushed towards apprenticeships when employers simply canrsquot create enough places to go round Our own study shows that 44 per cent of firms have slashed their apprenticeship budget since National Apprenticeship Week began in 2008 rdquo He adds: ldquoAs the industryrsquos training charity, we need to ensure that we have skilled people available to not only meet the industry needs of today, but also in the future If we donrsquot create the conditions for employers to take on more apprentices, Britain's economy ndash its industry and infrastructure ndash is going to be in serious trouble in five years time as there simply won't be enough skilled people in the country to maintain our existing infrastructure, let alone deliver new projects thatrsquoll get the economy moving again rdquo Challinor concludes: ldquoGovernment must do something ndash and quickly ndash to make banks give more support to SMEs and so stop the stranglehold on responsible businesses Then we might actually see a reversal of fortunes and get the economy back on its feet again At the same time, National Apprenticeship Week needs to tackle the issues holding back employers from taking on apprentices Bankers first stop quot Challinor urges anyone considering doing an apprenticeship, or any employer looking to find out more about taking on a trainee, to contact JTL on 08000 852 308 Purbeck Gazette Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=852 A Bournemouth man who attacked a police officer has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted of attempted murder Michael Edward, 43, was found guilty of stabbing PC Craig Bartlett along Surrey Road in Bournemouth at around 7 55pm on Monday 21 February 2011 As a result of the attack ndash which took place while police conducted an arrest during an operational investigation ndash PC Bartlett sustained a 12cm knife wound above the hip and a 10cm knife wound to the left shoulder His injuries were described as serious and potentially fatal PC Bartlett was treated at hospital for a number of days ndash he has now returned to duty Edward was sentenced on Tuesday 31st January 2012 at Bournemouth Crown Court He had been found guilty following a trial at the same court that took place between 5th December and 19th December 2011 Detective Sergeant Wayne Seymour, of Bournemouth CID, said: ldquoPC Bartlett sustained very serious injuries as a result of the vicious attack by Michael Edward Thankfully he is now back at work, but the consequences could have been far, far worse During the trial, the court heard that Edward used a 16cm kitchen knife to stab Craig twice and there was clear evidence, by way of damage to Craigrsquos coat, that at least one further attempt to stab PC Bartlett was made Clearly, Edwardrsquos actions were entirely reprehensible and we welcome the sentence that was handed down by the judge today This case highlights the dangers of knives and I would like to make it clear that Dorset Police will use the full force of the law to deal with anyone who keeps such items about their person rdquo Clive Chamberlain, Dorset Police Federation Chairman, added: ldquoThere is no doubt that Craig was extremely fortunate to have survived from this horrific attack Michael Edward was a criminal armed with a large knife ndash a weapon that he used in an attempt to kill a police officer who was carrying out his duty to protect his community This incident demonstrates what an inherently dangerous job police officers undertake each day and I hope that this sentence sends a clear message to anyone who may ever consider carrying a knife I am pleased to say that Craig has made a full recovery and has resumed his valued work in Bournemouth ndash although we should not underestimate the effect that this incident has had on him, his loved ones and colleagues Police officers are an integral part of every community and I am heartened by the support that Craig and his colleagues have received from members of the public I am sure that Dorset residents will welcome todayrsquos sentencing rdquo Edward had also pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply ndash the matter for which he was being investigated at the time of PC Bartlettrsquos stabbing Purbeck Gazette Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=847 Next of Kin Appeal - Darren Richie Wade The coroner for Bournemouth, Poole and East Dorset is seeking the assistance of the public to find the next of kin of a man who recently died in Bournemouth Darren Richie Wade, who was 46 years old, died at his home address at Wallis Road in Bournemouth on 20th January 2012 His death was not suspicious Coronerrsquos Officer Mike Humphries said: ldquoI believe that Darren had family living in Keighley in Yorkshire I need to find Darrenrsquos next of kin so that I can finalise my enquiries on behalf of the coroner Irsquod be grateful if any of Darrenrsquos family could contact me as soon as possible on 01202 780879 rdquo Purbeck Gazette Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=848 Police in North Dorset are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information to come forward after an assault and an attempted burglary in Marnhull near Sturminster Newton The incident, in which a woman disturbed a burglar in her garage and was subsequently assaulted, happened along New Street at around 4 25pm on Monday 16th January 2012 The victim, a 28-year-old local woman, received a punch to her face and sustained minor facial injuries Nothing was stolen Police Constable Pat McLoughlin, of North Dorset police, said: ldquoThe offender made off across the back garden that leads to an open area of land, bordering New Street, Chippel Lane and School House Lane Following enquiries I am able to release a description of the offender He is white, aged in his late teens, between five feet six inches and five feet eight inches tall and of a slim build He was wearing a black hooded top and black trousers I would urge anyone who witnessed this assault and attempted burglary, or has any information about the person responsible, to contact police urgently rdquo Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police in confidence on 101 quoting incident number 16:306 Alternatively, call the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111 where mobile phone tariffs may apply Purbeck Gazette Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=850 A record-breaking 70 gigs in 20 indoor venues! March Festival ndash 2nd, 3rd, 4th March 2012 All details of Artists, Venues and a Schedule of whorsquos on where and when, are all available on the website ndash plus a Poster for you to print out and put up ndash please! Admission will again be Free to Customers, but Venues reserve the right to charge an admission fee to non-customers Restaurants usually require pre-booking The festival is funded by Your Contributions so please be generous to ensure these festivals keep going! And please be nice to The Bucketeers, who are music fans like you who have given up their weekend to ensure there IS a weekend! There is a list of Accommodation on the website The Grand Hotel one of our main sponsors is offering a special rate of pound55 per person per night for BB Stan Helen from The Riverside Blues Band will be selling new design Tee Shirts We totally support them in their venture and hope you will too You can see videos and hear music from the festivalrsquos Artists on our Facebook Page ndash well worth joining We look forward to seeing you! FRIENDS OF SWANAGE BLUES - PRIZE DRAW The Christmas Eve Grand Prize Draw produced the following winning membership numbers: 91, 15, 24 If one of these is yours, please email me to arrange delivery of your prize SUBSCRIPTIONS NOW DUE Swanage Blues needs stability to keep things going I never know how much or how little there will be in the collections, so it makes planning very difficult for me But if everybody joined Friends Of Swanage Blues, there would some sort of a regular income, which would be a great help PLEASE JOIN UP or renew your subscription if you havenrsquot already - and only a handful of you have, so far Full information at Friends Of Swanage Blues on the website, which now takes PayPal and credit and debit cards too For only pound10 you can ensure the future of these festivals Benefits include free prize draws, free window decal and cheaper stuff when available not Stan Helenrsquos tee shirts WHATrsquoS ON IN SWANAGE The monthly guide is available on the website, see Whatrsquos On Steve Darrington Email: info@swanage-blues org Websites: Steve Darrington, www swanage-blues org Facebook: Steve Darrington, Swanage Blues Festival, Swanage Open Mic Sessions, Swanage - Live Music and more Swanage Blues is a trading name of Blues Roots Blues Roots is a company limited by guarantee registered in England 7270783 Registered Office: Herston Cross House, 230 High Street, Swanage, Dorset BH19 2PQ Purbeck Gazette Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=849 Reports for 28th January 2012 Olney 20pts Swanage Wareham 13pts Swans travelled to their furthest away fixtures of the season to Olney in north Buckinghamshire Swans hoped for an away victory at bottom of the table Olney, but they did not produce the goods and had to be content with a losing bonus point Swans started well, and after 4 minutes missed with an attempted penalty shot However against the run of play Olney worked their way down into the Swans half, a slick move enabled the left wing to go in for a try after 8 minutes Swans replied ten minutes later as a well- worked move down the left had Swans winger Charlie Rowberry going in for the equalising try There were so many mistakes by both sides in the first half it was a stop start game as neither side could get into their strides A penalty to Olney resulted in a kick to the Swans 5 metre line , and from the line out Olney powered their way over the try line with a catch/drive move The extras were added giving Olney a 12 ndash 5 lead Olney continued with attacking Swans line and just before half time another penalty gave the hosts a 15 ndash 5 lead at the break The second half was slightly better than the first, but one could see that this was a contest between two clubs are facing relegation from this league After an hour Swans reduced the advantage with a penalty goal by centre Charlie Parish, but with fifteen minutes to go a forward pass under Swans posts resulted in a scrum to Olney, from which they passed the ball down the three-quarters to score a try in the corner 20 ndash 8 Swans responded with ten minutes left as another break by Charlie Rowberry split the Olney defence and he went in for his second try of the game In the last few minutes Swans were fortunate not to let in other scores as Olney had a series of penalty kicks, but Swans managed to survive only losing by 20 pts ndash 13pts, in what was another disappointing away performance Swans team:- P Dunsford, T Marshall, C Parish, D Prior, C Rowberry, J Harris, C Tomes, J Sheldrake, R Elford, N Audley Z Wyburgh 52 , D Burgess, D Penney, J Scott D Wright 57 J Desmond Unused sub M Woolley Other Results Swanage Wareham 2nd XV 23pts Sherborne 2nd XV 8pts league D/W1 S Salisbury 3rd XV 12pts Swanage Wareham 3rd XV 48pts league D/W3 S Swanage Wareham 4th XV 45pts Ellingham Ringwood 3rd XV 19pts league D/W4 Games Next Week 4th February 2012 Swanage Wareham 1st XV v Buckingham, league SW1 East ,Home, 2 30 p m Swanage Wareham 2nd XV v Weymouth 1st XV, league D/W1 S , Home, 2 30 p m Swanage Wareham 3rd XV v South Wilts, League D/W3 S , Home, 2 30 p m Swanage Wareham 4th XV v Wimborne 3rd XV league D/W4, Away, 2 30 p m Ron Butler Publicity Secretary Telephone 01929 550273 e-mail ron@loxia fsnet co uk Purbeck Gazette Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=846 Police in North Bournemouth are becoming increasingly concerned for the welfare of a 23-year-old man who is missing from his home in Winton ndash with a picture of the missing man being released Rohallah Madadi, of Pine Road, has not made contact with his family since Wednesday 28 December 2011 He told his family that he planned to visit a friend in Manchester and was due to return in early January He did not return home Police Constable Claire-Marie Harrison, of North Bournemouth police, said: ldquoRohallah was born in Afghanistan and speaks limited English It is not believed that he knows many people in the country and, although he left with pound150 in cash he does not have access to any further money Rohallah has also left home without taking his medication with him We are concerned for his wellbeing as Rohallah has now been missing for quite some time rdquo Rohallah is six feet tall, of a slim build, with short black hair and a faint moustache He has a soft voice and speaks limited English It is unknown what Rohallah was wearing when he left his home address, but he is believed to be in possession of a black rucksack, a pair of dark blue jeans, a black and grey anorak style coat, a grey suit and a pair of black lace-up shoes PC Claire-Marie Harrison continued: ldquoIrsquod urge anyone who knows of Rohallahrsquos whereabouts ndash and anyone who has seen him since Wednesday 28 December 2011 ndash to contact the police straight away Rohallah is not in any trouble ndash we simply want to know that he is safe and well rdquo Anyone with any information or knowledge as to Rohallahrsquos whereabouts should call Dorset Police on 101, quoting incident number 4:111 Purbeck Gazette Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=845 Police have issued an urgent appeal after a dangerous prisoner escaped from a prison escort van in North Worcestershire this morning, Monday, 23rd January It happened at about 8 20am in Hewell Lane, Tardebigge, near Bromsgrove, close to HMP Hewell Grange The prisoner, John Anslow, was charged with murder by Staffordshire Police last week Anslow, aged 31, who is from the Tipton area, is one of five men charged with the murder of Richard Deakin, who was shot dead in Chasetown, Staffordshire, in 2010 He was charged on Wednesday, 18th January, and was on his way to Stafford Crown Court Anslow is described as white, 5ft 10ins tall, of medium build, with short straight dark brown hair Detective Inspector Jon Marsden of West Mercia Police said: ldquoThree men wearing balaclavas, two of whom were carrying sledgehammers, got out of a silver Volkswagen Scirocco, and smashed the windscreen and driverrsquos window of the GEO Amey prison escort van The van driver was punched but no serious injuries were sustained by escort staff There were two other prisoners in the van at the time, neither of whom were released rdquo The Scirroco drove off at speed The group are believed to have switched to a silver Mercedes car in Stoney Lane, Bromsgrove, soon after Det Insp Marsden added: ldquoAnslow has recently been charged with murder and is considered dangerous We are working closely with our colleagues from West Midlands and Staffordshire Police forces and a large number of officers from all three forces are involved in the search for him However we would urge any members of the public who sees him not to approach him directly, but to contact police immediately on 999 rdquo Information can also be passed on to West Mercia Police on 0300 333 3000 quoting incident 87-s-230112, or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 1111 Purbeck Gazette Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=844 Swanage Wareham Rugby Football Club Ltd Reports for 21st January 2012 Swanage Wareham 17pts Witney 10pts Swans welcomed Witney to Bestwall last Saturday for only the fourth time that the clubs have met In the three previous meetings Swans have won one and the other two were drawn games Swans started incredibly well with a scrum on the Witney 22, from there a planned move had captain and hooker Robert Elford breaking clear to score under the posts Charlie Parish added the extras to give Swans a 7 ndash 0 lead Swans were playing with the wind and after ten minutes from the Witney 10metres line Charlie Parish landed a long distance penalty kick to put Swans 10 ndash 0 up Witney showed that they were still in the game, and from a penalty they advanced into the Swans 22 From the line out the ball was overthrown and flank forward Matt Clarke picked up to score Witneyrsquos first try 10 ndash 5 The rest of the half was evenly contested, but Swans should have capitalised on the conditions as they spent the bulk of the half in the Witney half, but once again it was frustrating that mishandling contributed to the half time being 10 ndash 5 Using the wind Witney pushed the ball into Swans half and as a Swansrsquo player tried to kick the ball clear, Witneyrsquos other flank forward charged the ball down and scored Witneyrsquos second try, half way out Fortunately for Swans the conversion failed 10 ndash 10 after 47 minutes Swans kept the ball in hand as they worked their way in to the Witney half and after 54 minutes a scrum enabled Swans scrum half Chris Tomes to be forced over the try line to put Swans 15 ndash 10 in the lead Parish added the extras For most of the rest of the game Swans were putting pressure on the visitors defence, but mistakes led to Witney clearing long up field with Swans having to start again from deep, but there was no further score as Swans picked up the four league points for the victory Swans team:-P Dunsford, C Rowberry, D Prior J Chadwick 72 , D Wilcox, C Parish, J Harris, C Tomes, J Sheldrake, R Elford, N Audley O Andrews 63 , D Burgess, D Penney, T Richings , J Scott, A Jones, J Desmond Other results Salisbury 2nd XV 36pts Swanage Wareham 2nd XV 5pts league D/W1 S East Dorset 12pts Swanage Wareham 3rd XV 8pts friendly Swanage Wareham 4th XV 24pts Dorchester 3rd XV 12pts league D/W4 Games Next Week ndash 28th January Swanage Wareham 1st XV v Olney league SW1 East , Away, 2 15 p m Swanage Wareham 2nd XV v Sherborne 2nd XV league D/W1 S , Home, 2 15 p m Swanage Wareham 3rd XV v Salisbury 3rd XV league D/W3 S , Away, 2 15 p m Swanage Wareham 4th XV v Ellingham 3rd XV league D/W4, Home, 2 25 p m Ron Butler Publicity Secretary Telephone 01929 550273 e-mail ron@loxia fsnet co uk Purbeck Gazette Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=842 Hats to Handbags: Womenrsquos Fashion Accessories 13 th February to 14 th April 2012 A brand new exhibition is coming soon to Dorset County Museum Entitled Hats to Handbags, it showcases the Museumrsquos extensive costume and textile collection to show what was worn, made and bought in Dorset from the eighteenth century onwards Illustrating how fashions adapted to keep pace with the change in womenrsquos lives, the exhibition covers the history of womenrsquos fashion in shoes, bags, gloves, fans and parasols As many items in the collection are extremely fragile, the exhibition is a fantastic opportunity to get a close-up view of items of clothing and personal accessories usually only seen in period films Visitors will appreciate the traditional workmanship of decorative accessories, inspired by Paris and London designs, which were largely hand-made and exclusive to the elite until industrialization in the nineteenth century allowed mass production and distribution to every local high street From their origins as functional items of protection against the elements, accessories have become fashion essentials, often achieving cult status as indicators of class and wealth Hats, handbags, shoes, gloves, parasols and fans have evolved to adorn, flatter, disguise and complete the lsquolookrsquo of an outfit As previous textile exhibitions at the Museum have proved extremely popular, this one is expected to appeal to many local audiences and more widely to specialist groups interested in the history of textile, stitch and costume Many iconic artefacts are included in the exhibition They are much loved and well used individual objects, used and worn by real people By including personal stories, the rich social historical significance of these objects can be highlighted Only by illustrating the connection between object and wearer can their true value be revealed The exhibition runs at Dorset County Museum from Monday 13 th February to Saturday 14 th April 2012 In addition, the Museum is holding a Hats to Handbags Day School on Saturday 31st March Tickets cost pound15 per person and are available now from the Museum shop Please phone 01305 756827 or email shop@dorsetcountymuseum org to buy your ticket now as numbers are limited The image shows: White satin ladies shoes with thick-waisted 'Louis' heel, embroidered with silk thread, Circa 1720, Copyright Dorset County Museum Purbeck Gazette Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=843 Salmon spawning on Dorchesterrsquos Mill Stream Salmon have given the ultimate seal of approval to Dorchesterrsquos recently enhanced Mill Stream, as they returned to the River Frome for the annual winter spawning This monthrsquos survey of salmon lsquoreddsrsquo or nest sites found they had more than doubled in the 450m stretch where work was carried out last summer by Dorset Wildlife Trust Annual surveys of The Frome had previously found only 3 redds in one part of The Mill Stream, a man-made tributary whose unnaturally wide, straight-sided channel and silt-laden gravel bed had not been suitable for the fish to make their characteristic gravel nests Last summer, low level shelves or berms were used to narrow the wide sections, allowing the river to create cleaner gravels, pools and shallow riffles to accommodate spawning adults, and hiding places for the growing juvenile fish Sarah Williams, Dorset Wild Rivers Officer at Dorset Wildlife Trust, said: ldquoThis is fantastic news for the local fish populations although the salmon redds are easier to spot, there is a good number of brown trout spawning sites too Due to low water levels this winter, large fish are easier to see and you should be able to spot the salmon lsquoreddsrsquo, which are about 2 metres wide and 4 to 6 metres long, but it is important that people donrsquot wade into the river as this could damage the eggs Salmon and trout cannot be caught in the winter months and this is to allow them to breed rdquo The adult salmon return to the Frome from their feeding grounds in the North Sea and as far away as Greenland, finally reaching their home river between November and early January after an epic journey without feeding They then have to make their way upstream and find clean gravels where the female can lay the eggs, fertilised by the male and then cover them with a protective mound of gravel The eggs will hatch in the spring The Dorchester Mill Stream Enhancement Scheme, a Dorset Wild Rivers project, is supported by SITA Trustrsquos Enriching Nature Programme through the Landfill Communities Fund and also by the Environment Agency, The Big Lottery Fund, the Wild Trout Trust and many charitable trusts Dorset Wild Rivers is supported by Wessex Water and The Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty For more information visit www dorsetwildlifetrust org uk/dorsetwildrivers or ring 01305 264620 Photo - Male and female adult salmon on a redd or nest of clean gravel by John Aplin Purbeck Gazette Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=841 Appeal for Public's Help as Body Found in Weymouth Officers trying to identify an unknown deceased man are appealing for help from the public as a body has been found in Weymouth At 9 14am on Friday 20th January 2012 police received a report of a body floating in the Lodmoor nature reserve along Preston Road The body of an unknown deceased man was recovered by officers from Dorset Police marine section There are no suspicious circumstances and the coroner has been notified The man is described as white, in his late fifties to mid sixties, five feet eight inches to five feet ten inches tall and of heavy build He was clean shaven and has dark short receding hair with a bald patch He was wearing a black waterproof coat with a hood over a brown zip up jumper and blue jeans with black shoes A pair of light brown, wide framed spectacles were found in a coat pocket Police are appealing for anyone who may know the identity of this man to contact Dorset Police on the non-emergency number 101, quote incident number 20: 86 Purbeck Gazette Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=840 Annette Brooke MP Defends Wareham Middle School Playing Fields Annette Brooke, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, sought to safeguard the future of Wareham Middle Schoolrsquos playing fields, on 14th January During Education Questions in the House of Commons Annette asked Nick Gibb, the Minister for Schools, if both the Department of Education and Sport England would scrutinise any proposal to sell the playing fields very carefully Annettersquos concerns are shared by many of her constituents, who want to protect the playing fields for use by the community and the children of Wareham Annettersquos question comes as part of a campaign by local people to oppose proposals by Dorset County Council to sell off a large proportion of the playing fields for development In his response Nick Gibb stated that Dorset County Council had not, as of yet, filed an application to sell the playing fields Under rules laid down by the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, the county council would have to seek approval from the Secretary of State in order to sell the fields He further assured Annette that if such an application is made, the Secretary of State would take advice from the independent school playing fields advisory panel before making his decision After Education Questions Annette said, ldquoWe must keep fighting to protect Warehamrsquos playing fields With the schoolrsquos closure forthcoming, it is crucial that we safeguard a lasting legacy for the playing fields I think everyone agrees that they must be retained for community use, as they are an area of huge importance to local sports teams rdquo Purbeck Gazette Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=839 Reports for 14th January 2012 Swindon 12pts Swanage Wareham 5pts In their latest game away in league Southwest 1 East , Swans travelled to Swindon In a hard fought game there were very few chances of scores, but Swans had only themselves to blame for not coming away with a victory Swans nearly got off to a brilliant start as Charlie Rowberry just shaved the upright with a first minute penalty Swans had much of the early pressure close to the Swindon 22, but as they looked like scoring a misplaced pass under the posts had a Swindon centre break clear to run nearly 80 metres towards Swans try line However, winger David Price-Smith was across to cover and as the centre tried to pass inside Price-Smith knocked the ball away The referee decided it was a deliberate knock forward, awarded a penalty try, yellow carded Price-Smith, and the conversion followed 7pts ndash 0pts Swans continued to pressurise the Swindon pack, but knocks-on, fumbled balls and other mistakes prevented Swans from scoring After 25 minutes Swans were again in the Swindon 22 when the ball was spilled, Swindon again broke clear, the ball was passed out to the Swindon winger who scored in the corner 12pts ndash 0pts at half time It was much the same story in the second half, Swans playing the more attractive rugby, applying pressure to the hosts defence, but once again Swans lacked penetration to capitalise on the pressure Both sides put on some replacements, but it did not seem to make much difference With ten minutes to go a fine move all the way along the Swans backs, out to Price-Smith who ran in a try in the corner 12pts- 5pts In the last few minutes Swans pummelled the Swindon defence, but it held firm and Swans had to be content with a losing bonus point for all their efforts Swans team:-P Dunsford, D Price-Smith, R Newitt L Oliver 70 , D Wilcox, C Rowberry, J Harris,C Tomes, J Sheldrake,R Elford, N Audley Z Wyburgh 53 , D Burgess, D Collins D Penney 53 , J Scott, A Jones, J Desmond Other Results Swanage Wareham 2nd XV 8pts Warminster 1st XV 31pts league D/W1 S Swanage Wareham 3rd XV 36pts Verwood 10pts league D/W3 S Weymouth 3rd XV 7pts Swanage Wareham 4th XV 24pts league D/W4 Games Next Week, 21st January Swanage Wareham 1st XV v Witney league SW1 East ,Home, 2 15 p m Swanage Wareham 2nd XV v Salisbury 2nd XV league D/W1 S , Away, 2 15 p m Swanage Wareham 4th XV v Dorchester 3rd XVleague D/W4, Home, 2 15 p m NOTICE Vice - Presidents Luncheon The third Vice-Presidentrsquos luncheon takes place before the home game against Witney on the 21st January To make sure of your place contact John Benham on 01202 578286 or 07881625607 mobile Ron Butler Publicity Secretary Telephone 01929 550273 e-mail ron@loxia fsnet co uk Purbeck Gazette Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=838 Author Talk with Sam Elms will be holding a talk at Upton Library Poole on 26th January at 7 30PM Entry: is pound1 50p for Library friends Sam Elms is talking about the history of South Lytchett Manor, Lytchett Minster, in aid of the Upton Library This talk is the first one since 2009 and is being done with the aid of drawings from theDorset History Centre The event should last about 45 minutes, and refreshments will be available afterwards Entry is pound1 or 50p for friends of the library Tickets are available from the library itself 01202 623744 , or on the door We are looking forward to seeing you! Purbeck Gazette Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=837 Dorset Police is reminding the public that the number to dial to contact the police for non-emergencies is 101 ndash as the Home Office announces the number is now live nationwide The Home Office has today ndash Wednesday 11 January 2012 ndash confirmed that every police force in England and Wales is now using 101 as its non-emergency contact number Dorset Police, together with its neighbouring forces in the south west region, started using the 101 non-emergency number in September 2011 From October to December last year, the Force received 17,917 non-emergency calls from the public on the 101 number Chief Superintendent Colin Searle, Communications and Contact Services Commander, said: ldquoNo matter where you are in England and Wales, if you need to contact the police for a non-urgent issue, simply dial 101 ldquoNow that the 101 non-emergency number has been rolled out nationwide, it should make contacting the police more straight forward for the public because, wherever you are in the country, you just need to call 101 ldquoAs ever, in an emergency where life is in danger or a crime is in progress, you should always dial 999 rdquo Members of the public should call 101 to contact the police to report less urgent crime and disorder or to speak to local officers For example, call 101: bull to give the police information about crime in your area bull to speak to the police about a general enquiry bull if your car has been stolen bull if your property has been damaged bull if you suspect drug use or dealing in your local area bull to report a minor traffic accident Calls to the 101 non-emergency number ndash from both landlines and mobile phones ndash cost 15 pence per call no matter what time of day you call, or how long the call lasts If a member of the public has a speech or hearing impairment, they can textphone 18001 101 Purbeck Gazette Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=836 Swanage Wareham Rugby Football Club Ltd Reports for 7th January 2012 Swanage Wareham 29pts High Wycombe 21pts Swanage Wareham welcomed High Wycombe to Bestwall on Saturday determined to avenge the defeat that they suffered earlier in the season when they played away In the first minute Swans were awarded a penalty kick, but it was just out of range for Charlie Parish However after five minutes Swans flank forward James Van Tuyl intercepted a pass on the half way line to run in unopposed to score half way out Parish landed the conversion Swans continued to dominate and a penalty by Parish put Swans 10 ndash 0 up On the half hour mark the visitors managed a catch/drive move to score a try out wide which was converted 10-7 Swans then drove forward and after several phases James Van Tuyl was on hand to finish off the move as he scored his second try in the corner High Wycombe landed a penalty just before the break so it was 15pts ndash 10pts at the interval Five minutes into the second half Wycombe scored a try in the corner to level the scores and then the visitors went ahead with another penalty to lead by 15pts ndash 18pts Just as Swans were responding a well taken drop goal by Wycombe pushed the score to 15pts ndash 21pts with 10 minutes left to play Swans continued to put pressure on the visitorrsquos defence and then Swans winger David Price-Smith worked his way past the Wycombe defence to score under the posts Parish added the extras as Swans went back into the lead at 22pts ndash 21 with a minute to go Swans were content to run the clock down, but Price-Smith had other ideas and with the final move of the game he outpaced the Wycombe defence once again to score close to the posts for Swansrsquo bonus point try Parish landed the conversion as Swans won by 29pts to 21pts Swans team:- P Dunsford, D Price-Smith, C Parish, D Wilcox, D Jones J Chadwick 70 , J Harris, C Tomes, J Sheldrake, R Elford, N Audley O Andrews 56 , D Burgess, D Collins D Penney 56 , J van Tuyl, A Jones, J Desmond Other Results Ivel Barbarians 22pts Swanage Wareham 2nd XV 22pts league D/W1 S Swanage Wareham 3rd XV 39pts Lytchett Minster 2nd XV 0pts league D/W3 S Games Next Week Swanage Wareham 1st XV v Swindon league SW1 East , Away, 2 15 p m Swanage Wareham 2nd XV v Warminster league D/W1 S , Home, 2 15 p m Swanage Wareham 3rd XV v Verwood league D/W3 S , Home, 2 15 p m Swanage Wareham 4th XV v Weymouth 3rd XV league D/W4,Away, 2 15 p m VICE -PRESIDENTS LUNCHEON The third Vice-Presidentrsquos luncheon takes place before the home game against Witney on the 21st January To make sure of your place contact John Benham on 01202 578286 or 07881625607 mobile Ron Butler Publicity Secretary Telephone 01929 550273 e-mail ron@loxia fsnet co uk Purbeck Gazette Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=835 Swanage Teenager Seriously Hurt - Renewed Appeal Detectives investigating an alleged assault in Swanage are renewing their appeal for witnesses and information ndash with officers urging local parents to be vigilant following reports that a small number of young men may be planning further altercations in the town At approximately 1 15am on Sunday 1 January 2012 officers received a report of a fight at the arcade near the Mowlem Theatre on Shore Road When officers arrived at the scene they found that three teenage boys had suffered injuries ndash one of these boys suffered a serious head injury He was taken to Poole Hospital and was later transferred to the neurological unit at Southampton Hospital A 17-year-old boy from Lytchett Matravers has been arrested and bailed while police make further enquiries Detectives continue to deal with the investigation, assisted by Purbeck Safer Neighbourhood Teams, and are following up any information that is provided to them, however minor it appears Sergeant Jon Wasey, of the Wareham Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: ldquoInformation has been received that a small number of young men may be planning to seek retribution, however at this time this cannot be confirmed Any information regarding this possibility will be followed up and robust action will be taken to deal with any such incidents if they do occur ldquoI would appeal to parents to assist Dorset Police in reducing any risk by advising their children as to the consequences of teenagers taking matters into their own hands ndash reckless and irresponsible behaviour will not achieve anything ldquoAny information regarding the alleged assault or any planned disorder should be passed to the police to further assist the investigation quot Detective Inspector Stewart Dipple added: quotFrom our enquiries, we know there were a large number of young people on the seafront by the blue shelter on Shore Road at the time of this serious incident ldquoWe are directly appealing to these young people to speak to police if they witnessed this incident which has left three teenagers with injuries ldquoEqually, if anyone has heard any information while at school or college ndash or on social networking sites ndash about those responsible, Irsquod urge them to inform police and this will be investigated rdquo The 16-year-old boy, from Swanage, remains in hospital in Southampton where his condition is described as serious but stable Anyone who witnessed this incident, or anyone who has any information that may assist the investigation, should contact Dorset Police on 101 quoting incident 1:202 or Crime stoppers, in confidence, on 0800 555 111 Purbeck Gazette Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=834 A senior member of staff at Dorset Police has been made a Member of the British Empire MBE in Her Majesty The Queenrsquos New Yearrsquos Honours list, published today, Saturday 31 December 2011 Mr Paul Chick, a senior member of police staff working in the Forcersquos Business Change Team, has been recognised for his service to the community in Dorset Paul, who has worked for Dorset Police for 29 years, spends the majority of his off-duty time working in the community to support and develop the lives and outlook of many disadvantaged groups In particular, he devotes a significant amount of time and energy to helping families and carers who have a child with a disability Paul, who lives in Dorchester, is married to Deby and has three daughters, Lucy ndash who also works for Dorset Police ndash Amy and Katie On receiving the news, Paul said: rdquoI am absolutely delighted to receive this recognition, it was totally unexpected My first thought on receiving the news was lsquowhy me rsquo ldquoI felt quite humbled and I accept the MBE on behalf of my family, friends and colleagues at Dorset Police Without their support and drive none of my voluntary work would be possible ldquoI hope this recognition will go some way in helping to raise awareness for carers in our community rdquo Building on his own experiences of his youngest daughter, Katie, who has Angelman Syndrome, Paul joined the Angelman Syndrome Support Educational Support Trust ASSERT , providing advice, information and support to other parents He has also contributed to national research projects on the condition Recognising the difficulties of children who are often responsible for the care of parents or siblings, Paul helped set up and chairs the Friends of Dorset Young Carers Support Group, providing assistance and activities for young carers in the Dorset community He also joined the Earlybirds Charity, which raises funds for specialist equipment, and subsequently took over as chair Paul also provides support and advice to parents and carers within Dorset Police In 1992 Paul set up and, to this day, chairs the Young People's Karting Project, offering formal training in karting and enhanced social skills for generations of young people The project is run with the full assistance of Clay Pigeon Raceway, the former race circuit of Jenson Button Paul continued: ldquoThis unique project works with young people from varied backgrounds and disabilities with the aim of developing and enhancing their confidence, self esteem, team work and interpersonal skills ldquoThe young people also develop into becoming valued Citizens in the community ldquoThese skills help them in other aspects of their lives, including home, at school and in society rdquo The project also works with Dorset Young Carers to allow Young People who care in the community to experience the thrill of karting Dorset Police Chief Constable, Martin Baker said: ldquoPaul has provided direct support to thousands of children and families across Dorset over the last 25 years ldquoHe works relentlessly across the community, breaking down barriers and bringing greater understanding and cooperation to those who need it most ldquoPaul is a credit to himself, his family and to Dorset Police I could not be more delighted for him rdquo Purbeck Gazette Sat, 31 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=832 Police in Blandford are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information to come forward after a fail to stop road traffic collision in the town The incident, in which a car collided with a 49-year-old man as he was crossing the road outside of the Langton Road Co-op supermarket, happened at around 6 50pm on Wednesday 28 December 2011 The vehicle had emerged from the car park to the rear of the Co-op It did not stop at the scene Sergeant Joe Pardey, of Dorset Policersquos traffic unit, said: ldquoThe victim, from Blandford, sustained injuries to his back as a result of this collision ndash he was taken to Dorset County Hospital and treated for severe bruising ldquoI am appealing for anyone who witnessed this collision, and anyone with any information about the driver or the car involved, to contact me as soon as possible ldquoAll calls will be treated in the strictest of confidence rdquo Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police in confidence on 101 quoting incident number 28:384 Alternatively, call the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111 where mobile phone tariffs may apply Purbeck Gazette Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=833 The man who signalled the last British Rail train from Swanage to Corfe Castle and Wareham on New Year's Day, 1972 ndash as well as some of its passengers ndash are to gather on the Swanage Railway to mark the 40th anniversary of that very sad day The poignant reunion on the Swanage Railway takes place on Sunday, 1 January, 2012, and will see a special headboard carried on the steam locomotive hauling trains between Swanage, Herston, Harman's Cross, Corfe Castle and Norden Park Ride Sunday will see retired Network Rail signalman Bob Richards of Corfe Castle reunited with two items of signalling equipment that he used on the cold night of 1 January, 1972, to signal the last British Rail train from Swanage to Corfe Castle and Wareham ndash a single line metal staff and key token Also gathering on the Swanage Railway with Bob on Sunday ndash exactly 40 years to the day since that last British Rail train from January, 1972 ndash will be three of its passengers Peter Sills and his father Frederick Sills from Wareham as well as Malcolm Munro from Wool The volunteer chairman of the Swanage Railway Company, Peter will be bringing along his last British Rail train ticket from 1972 ndash which cost 25 pence ndash as will Malcolm who was 16 years old and had to pay 50 pence in 1972 For those who have forgotten ndash or who were not alive at the time ndash 1972 was the year of Conservative Prime Minister Edward 'Ted' Heath, the national Miners' strike, power cuts and the Munich Olympics in West Germany Peter Sills explained: quotWhen I rode on that last train as a 14 year-old with my father in 1972, I never ever thought the railway would come back ndash especially when the tracks were ripped up for scrap during the summer of 1972 The special headboard for the Swanage Railway's steam trains on New Year's Day, 2012, has been specially made by Malcolm Munro, who works for the Environment Agency at Blandford He said: quotThe 40th anniversary of the last British Rail train from Swanage to Corfe Castle and Wareham could not go unmarked It's important for people to remember, and to be reminded, that the Swanage Railway has been built from nothing after British Rail closed and lifted the branch line back in 1972 quotI'm very proud to play my part in running, developing and extending the Swanage Railway As a 16 year-old back in 1972, I never dreamt that more than 30 years later I would become a volunteer signalman on the Swanage Railway which now carries more than 200,000 passengers a year quot For Bob Richards, New Year's Day, 2012, will be poignant and bitter-sweet: quotIt will be strange feeling to stand on Corfe Castle station exactly 40 years to the day since I signalled the last British Rail train from Swanage to Corfe Castle and Wareham on that dark and very cold night back in January, 1972 It was a very sad day indeed and no-one thought the railway would ever come back quotIt will be a time to remember old railway colleagues and friends who worked on the Swanage branch line and who are sadly no longer with us Two former signalmen only died very recently I never thought the railway would or could come back but it has ndash against all the odds,quot explained Mr Richards Bob Richards retired as a Network Rail signalman at Wareham station ndash where he had worked since the closure of the Swanage branch line in January, 1972 ndash in November, 2007 The Swanage Railway train service on New Year's Day, 2012, will be hauled by Standard Class 4 Tank No 80104 built at Brighton in 1955 and which has been restored from a scrapyard condition Photo copyright Andrew P M Wright Purbeck Gazette Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=831 More people than the populations of Wareham town and Corfe Castle village have travelled on the Swanage Railway's 'Santa Special' steam trains this year ndash with passengers being highly satisfied with the festive services and the friendliness of their staff A total of 7,904 passengers boarded the seasonal trains to meet Father Christmas and all but one of the seven 'Wessex Belle' Christmas lunch steam trains ndash which also ran during December ndash were sold out According to surveys carried out on all 36 of the 'Santa Special' steam trains, passengers gave a satisfaction rating of 94 per cent for the festive service and a 97 per cent rating for the friendliness of the volunteers who make the special trains happen Previous passenger satisfaction ratings for the 'Santa Special's have been 93 per cent for 2010 and 88 per cent for 2009 By the end of Christmas Eve, the 36 atmospheric fund-raising steam trains ran more than 430 miles which is the equivalent distance from Purbeck to Bordeaux in southern France Dedicated Swanage Railway volunteers are running steam trains daily until Monday, 2 January, 2012, inclusive and since Boxing Day, 2011, the trains have included a Pullman observation car offering stunning views of the Purbeck countryside and the iconic ruins of Corfe Castle during the journey Swanage Railway commercial manager Martin Payne said: quotWe're very proud of the experience we offer on the Santa Specials and it's no wonder that so many of our passengers come back year after year quotWe sold out early again this year and attracted passengers not just from Dorset and Hampshire but from across south-east and south-west England quotOur Santa Special staff do an excellent job in giving everyone a great time and our passengers recognise this as our satisfaction surveys show quotIt's also very hard work for Father Christmas, especially with his global sleigh trip to follow immediately after the Santa Specials,quot explained Mr Payne The year 2011 has also been a very good year for the Swanage Railway's 'Wessex Belle' luxury dining train and virtually all the Christmas lunch trains sold out Martin Payne explained: quotEnjoying your Christmas lunch while travelling through the beautiful Purbeck countryside is very enjoyable We are planning to run more lunch trains in 2012 as they have been so popular this year quot Enjoyed by excited children and adults alike, profits from the trains are going towards extending and developing the award-winning six mile relaid Purbeck Line ndash between Norden Park Ride, Corfe Castle, Harmanrsquos Cross, Herston and Swanage ndash which has been rebuilt from nothing since 1976 Starting from Swanage station, the 'Santa Special' steam trains offered an evocative hour-long journey through the beautiful Purbeck countryside with Father Christmas With festive entertainment on the 'Santa Special' steam trains, each child received an age and gender related wrapped present from Father Christmas himself ndash as well as a complimentary soft drink and biscuit ndash while adults received a festive mince pie and seasonal drink Many lsquoSanta Specialrsquo passengers left their vehicles in the attended car park next to Norden station ndash off the main A351 road from Wareham just north of Corfe Castle ndash and took a heritage diesel rail bus to Swanage before boarding a 'Santa Special' or enjoying a festive three-course 'Wessex Belle' lunch Full lsquoSanta Specialrsquo service details are available from the Swanage Railway on 01929 475207 ndash or by visiting www swanagerailway co uk Photo by Andrew P M Wright Purbeck Gazette Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=830 Swanage Railway volunteers are running a special shuttle train service from Norden Park Ride to Corfe Castle during January and February ndash while the rest of the heritage line is closed because of extensive civil engineering work at Swanage station The amenity train service for walkers and other visitors using a 1960s heritage diesel rail bus will be running on Saturdays and Sundays from 7 January, 2012, until 26 February, 2012 inclusive Departing Norden Park Ride as well as Corfe Castle stations every 30 minutes, there will be ten trains a day in each direction between 10 45am and 3 55pm Tickets for the special shuttle trains are pound1 for an adult single and pound2 for an adult return ndash with children travelling free of charge Full steam train services are due to resume between Norden Park Ride, Corfe Castle, Harman's Cross, Herston Halt and Swanage on Saturday, 3 March, 2011 Swanage Railway commercial manager Martin Payne said: quotThe public can avoid the hassle of parking in Corfe Castle by using the attended car park at Norden and using the diesel shuttle to visit Corfe Castle The view of the castle ruins from the train as it runs down from Norden is absolutely amazing quotThe Swanage Railway has not to run a train service during the annual January and February shutdown over recent years because of essential maintenance work carried out on the very intensively used line quotWe can run a Norden Park Ride to Corfe Castle shuttle train service for walkers and people visiting the picture postcard village during this year's January and February shutdown because the essential maintenance work is only taking place at Swanage station quotThe newest railway station to be built in Dorset after being opened in 1995, Norden Park Ride is an ideal base for undertaking winter walks on the Purbeck Hills as well as for taking the short trip to Corfe Castle where the train affords superb views of the iconic Medieval castle,quot explained Mr Payne The essential maintenance work at Swanage station during January and February 2012 will be the replacement and improvement of most of the underground drains at Swanage station Martin Payne explained: quotThe major work at Swanage station is very important for the efficient running of a very busy and popular railway Created by the Victorians in 1884 only a few feet above sea level, the station was built on ground composed of clay quotThis is the first time the Swanage Railway has had the chance to replace and improve the drainage system at Swanage station after its progressive decline under British Rail from 1967 and then the complete abandonment of the site in 1972 when the station was closed and the tracks lifted quot Rebuilt from nothing since 1976, the volunteer-run Swanage Railway carries more than 200,000 passengers a year on six miles of relaid railway line between Norden, Corfe Castle, Harman's Cross, Herston Halt and Swanage The heritage railway contributes around pound10 million to the Purbeck economy and profits from train services and special events are ploughed back into the development and extension of the Swanage Railway and its facilities The Swanage Railway is run by some 500 regular volunteers ndash assisted by a team of more than 30 full-time staff ndash and the value of the Swanage Railway volunteers' work is pound2 million a year if they were paid Full Swanage Railway service details are available from the Swanage Railway on 01929 475207 ndash or by visiting www swanagerailway co uk Photo by Andrew P M Wright Purbeck Gazette Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=827 The staff of the Purbeck Gazette would like to wish all of our readers, contributors and advertisers a very happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year We would like to thank you all for your loyalty and support throughout 2011, helping us to build a successful, much-loved, community paper The Purbeck Gazette exists because of all of YOU - those of you who contribute to the paper and those of you who read the Gazette for all the local news and views each month We hope you have a wonderful time, whether with family, friends, or just on your own, having a little time away from the world To all our non-local readers, we hope you enjoy the festive season, wherever you're based, in the UK or abroad We thank you for your continued interest in the Isle of Purbeck and the Purbeck Gazette We look forward to seeing and hearing from you all in 2012! Purbeck Gazette Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=828 BARN OWLS MISSING FROM POOLE ndash INFORMATION APPEAL Police in Poole are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information to come forward after the disappearance of three owls from a property in the Foxholes area of the town Sometime between 4pm on Wednesday 14 December and 10 30am on Thursday 15 December 2011, three Barn Owls were stolen or released without consent from an aviary at an address along Foxholes Road The missing owls include a male and female, aged around 20, and their 7-year-old daughter Police Constable Will Burnett, of Poole police, said: ldquoThe owners have been keeping Barn Owls for over two decades and they are clearly distraught at the loss of their birds ldquoI am appealing for anyone who has any information about those responsible for taking or releasing the owls, and anyone who has any knowledge about the birdsrsquo whereabouts, to contact me as soon as possible rdquo Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police in confidence on 101 quoting incident number 15:146 Alternatively, call the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111 where mobile phone tariffs may apply Purbeck Gazette Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=829 Police are appealing for public help to find a missing 81-year-old Bournemouth man who has not been seen for over a week with a picture of the missing man being released Ivor Holloway, from Bournemouth, had been staying at an address in Walpole Road when he was last seen on 13 December 2011 Ivor is white, around five feet eight inches tall and of heavy build with short grey hair He also wears glasses and is missing the tip of one his fingers Police Constable Alyssa Forrest of Bournemouth Police said: Ivor is diabetic and has not been seen for over a week now I would like to hear from anyone who has seen Ivor or knows of his whereabouts If Ivor reads this he is asked to make contact with the police, in complete confidence We want to make sure that he is safe and well Anyone with information or knowledge as to Ivorrsquos whereabouts should call Dorset Police in confidence on 101 quoting incident number 21:355 Purbeck Gazette Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=822 Dear Residents of Swanage, Following responses from the public about criminal damage, anti-social behaviour and underage drinking, the police have taken a considered approach and have been strategically targeting specific areas Over the last five months, we have issued a number of Section 27 notices, which ensure an individual causing anti-social behaviour is removed from the area for up to 24 hours We have also made several arrests relating to criminal damage and anti-social behaviour in the town centre More recently, we have targeted under age drinking and removed alcohol from people who are under the age of 18 years We have been informing the parents of their childrsquos behaviour and are monitoring those who continue to act in an anti-social manner Please ensure that you are aware of where your children are, who they are with and what they have been doing We need help from all residents to keep our town safe and free from anti-social behaviour Please report all incidents when they happen by calling 101 for non emergencies or 999 if a life is in danger or a crime is in progress This provides the police with the best opportunity for detecting and investigating acts of crime and disorder Since the summer months the police have been striving to increase police visibility in the town centre This has an impact on any potential crimes being committed and helps to combat the fear of crime We will not tolerate those who commit crime or act in an anti-social manner We will arrest those who damage property and we will use the powers we have to remove people from the town Much of Swanage town centre is under a designated public place order DPPO This means that the police can request that you stop drinking in a designated public place and surrender any alcohol in your possession Failure to do so could result in you being arrested With all the above in mind we would like to thank the residents and business owners of Swanage who have been very supportive of our actions Swanage is a beautiful seaside town that attracts thousands of visitors all year round The people of Swanage are good friendly citizens, which is testament to the amount of returning visitors that we get here every year Swanage does have a vibrant economy of which the night time establishments are part After enjoying a night out we do ask that you make your way home quietly and sensibly There are lots of people who live in and around the town centre and they are not happy about the minority of people who damage their property and are inconsiderate to other residents of Swanage There are CCTV cameras all around the town and we will be looking at these very carefully in the future Thank you for all of your good work so far Lets continue to work together to keep Swanage a safe, friendly and happy place to live and visit Swanage Safer Neighbourhood Team Purbeck Gazette Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=826 A Christmas lsquoTailrsquo: Annette Brooke MP Puts Dog Law Reform on Her Christmas List Annette Brooke MP joined leading animal welfare and veterinary organisations, trade unions and canine companions in a Christmas wish list on Wednesday 14th December appealing for urgent government action on the issue of irresponsible dog ownership and dog law reform MPs from all major political parties were joined by representatives from twenty organisations who are calling on the coalition government to deliver on their agreement that enforcement agencies should ldquotarget irresponsible owners of dangerous dogs rdquo Those present are hoping to successfully introduce a government Bill in the Queenrsquos Speech next year, updating current dog control legislation to improve public and worker safety as well as animal welfare and reduce the costs of enforcement to the public purse The issue of irresponsible dog ownership covers many different areas, from allowing dogs to foul or stray, to encouraging them to be dangerously out of control, contributing to anti-social behaviour or even using them as a weapon There is much evidence that dog ownership has a benefit to society when the dog is well trained and the owner is responsible Purbeck Gazette Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=825 Swanage Wareham Rugby Football Club Ltd Cheltenham 40pts Swanage Wareham 5pts For the second time in a fortnight Swans had to travel away to Gloucestershire to play against top of the table Cheltenham, this being the start of the second half of the season Swans started well putting Cheltenham under some pressure, but a couple of penalties put Swans under pressure themselves However, from a maul after 8 minutes, wing forward for Swans Audie Jones broke clear, passed to No 8, Joe Desmond, who galloped 50 metres to score his debut try for Swans 1st XV 0-5 Swans continued to have the upper hand, but ten minutes later a break by Cheltenham resulted in a converted try 7 ndash 5 Swans were still having the territorial advantage, but once again a Cheltenham centre broke clear to score their second converted try 14 ndash 5 Just before the interval a couple of penalties put Cheltenham on Swans 5 metre line and a try was scored in the corner Half Time 19 ndash 5 Swans came out in the second half and continued to put Cheltenham under severe pressure, but could not find a way through the hosts defence Swans lost a player for an offence and had to play the rest of the game with 14 players After 56 minutes, once again, Cheltenham broke clear to score another converted try, and from the kick off the ball was worked out to the hosts winger who went clear and scored under the posts 33 ndash 5 Swans must have had 70% of the play in the Cheltenham 22, but they still could not score, and with 10 minutes to go, lack of tackling led Cheltenham once again to break free and score another converted try 40 ndash 5 In the last eight minutes or so Swans pummelled the Cheltenham line, resulting in two yellow cards to Cheltenham, but unfortunately Swans could not reduce the arrears Swans Team:- P Dunsford, D Jones, D Prior, D Wilcox, C Parish, J Harris, M Roberts, J Sheldrake, R Elford, N Audley S Marshallsay 59 W Corsie, O Andrews, J Scott M Jacobs 52 , A Jones, J Desmond - Sub not used P Graves Other Results Swanage Wareham 2nd XV 20pts Ellingham Ringwood 2nd XV 14pts, league D/W1 S Bridport 2nd XV 32pts Swanage Wareham 3rd XV 13pts, league D/W3 S Swanage Wareham 4th XV 41pts North Dorset 4th XV 5pts, league D/W4 Next Games 1st January Swanage Wareham Veterans v Wimborne Veterans, friendly, Away, 12 00 noon 7th January Swanage Wareham 1st XV v High Wycombe, league SW1 East , Home, 2 00 p m Swanage Wareham 2nd XV v Ivel Barbarians, league D/W1 S , Away, 2 00 p m Swanage Wareham 3rd XV v Lytchett Minster 2nd XV, league D/W3 S , Home 2 00 p m Ron Butler Publicity Secretary Telephone 01929 550273 e ndash mail ron@loxia fsnet co uk Purbeck Gazette Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=824 Your chance to comment on the C-SCOPE Marine Plan With its wealth of natural resources, the Dorset coast is under continuous and increasing pressure many activities such as fishing, shipping, tourism and marine energy are competing for the same space Marine Planning is a way to address these issues and aims to protect and regulate the marine environment, taking into account the many uses and users of the coast The Dorset Coast Forum C-SCOPE project has produced a draft marine plan, the first in England, for a pilot area of the Dorset coast between Portland Bill and Durslton Head and out to twelve nautical miles , which could help shape the way we use and enjoy our unique coastline and inshore waters in the future Many Dorset people have been involved in the production of the Draft C-SCOPE Marine Plan, including local businesses, fishermen and communities in Weymouth Portland and Purbeck Now people are invited to comment on the plan Their feedback is particularly welcomed as this important pilot project could help to inform national marine planning which will take place in Dorset sometime within the next few years The main document and appendices, as well as supporting documents and the Sustainability Appraisal can all be found and downloaded on the C-SCOPE website: http://www cscope eu/en/results/marine-mgmt-plan/dorset The consultation period is twelve weeks, and people are asked to respond by Friday the 9th of March 2012 All comments, positive or negative, are welcomed and once the consultation is complete, all comments will be considered and the Marine Plan amended where necessary, this will then be published on the C-SCOPE website Purbeck Gazette Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=821 Working Together To Tackle Rural Crime Dorchester police officers teamed up with members of the local rural community in a bid to combat rural crime On Monday 12 December 2011, Dorchester officers enlisted the help of local game keepers and farmers to act as spotters for suspicious vehicles in the area, as part of Operation Shogun The visible presence of local officers and spotters resulted in few cars being in the area As part of the operation, any suspicious vehicles were stopped and searched Inspector Les Fry, Neighbourhood Inspector for Dorchester Sherborne, said: ldquoOperation Shogun is a great example of the police and the rural community working together to prevent and deter those intent on committing crime in the rural areas ldquoI would like to take this opportunity to thank those members of the community who gave up their time to assist us in the operation ldquoBetween 10pm and 4am the weather was atrocious with wind and rain, but the team stuck to their task ldquoDuring the operation, we stopped and searched a car containing people that have previous convictions for rural theft offences I am confident that our presence during the operation ensured that these individuals, and anyone else considering committing rural crime in the area, did not do so ldquoWe will be repeating this operation whenever and wherever there is a need ldquoWe want the criminals who are intent on targeting rural areas to know that we will be working very closely with the rural community in various ways, including Operation Shogun and through Operation Countryside, to reduce crime in these areas rdquo Purbeck Gazette Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=823 Swanage Wareham 33pts, Reading Abbey 21pts Swanage Wareham welcomed Reading Abbey to Bestwall last Saturday, and for a change Swans came away with a victory to take them out of the relegation zone in the league in South West 1 East Both sides started looking as if it was a relegation battle, which it was, and play was often ragged in the first half Swans went ahead after 7 minutes as Charlie Rowberry landed a penalty goal There were a series of penalties against both sides, but Swans appeared to have the upper hand territorially, pressing Abbey back towards their own line After 25 minutes, from a penalty to the corner Swans managed a catch/drive move as prop forward John Sheldrake worked his way over the try line in the corner 8pts ndash nil at half time A shock was in store for Swans as with the first move of the second half by Abbey as scrum half Olly Heath broke through to score close to the posts Centre Tom Waterhouse added the extras 8 ndash 7 However Swans attacked and from a driving maul close to the Abbey line, flank forward Jesse Scott was on hand as he managed to score his first try of the season for Swans 1st XV Rowberry added the conversion 15 ndash 7 Swans continued to press into the Abbey half, and a kick through had Charlie Rowberry winning the race for the ball to touch down in the corner 20 ndash 7 Swans continued with the attacking play and in so doing won a couple of penalties close enough for Charlie Rowberry to convert them to put Swans 26 ndash 7 up However a good break by winger Gavin Dampies for Abbey, down the left wing had him outstripping the Swans defence to run round to score under the posts Waterhouse converted As time was now running out Swans were desperate for the bonus point try, and fortunately it duly arrived, as once again Charlie Rowberry broke clear of the Abbey defence to score his second try of the game, this time under the posts He added the conversion to put Swans 33 ndash 14 ahead With the last move of the game a scramble near Swans line had Abbeyrsquos other centre Tom Huggins crossing the try line which Waterhouse converted to leave the final score Swans 33pts Reading Abbey 21pts Swans team:- P Dunsford, C Rowberry, D Prior, D Wilcox, J Blackmore, J Harris, S Smyth G Alner 40 , J Sheldrake, D Elford, N Audley Z Wyburgh 66 , T Richings, D Collins J Desmond 45 , J Scott, A Jones, J Maginn OTHER RESULT North Dorset 2nd XV 11pts Swanage Wareham 2nd XV 8pts league D/W1 S GAMES NEXT WEEK 17th December Swanage Wareham 1st XV v Cheltenham league SW1 East Away 2 00 p m Swanage Wareham 2nd XV v Ellingham 2nd XV league D/W1 S Home 2 00 p m Swanage Wareham 3rd XV v Bridport 2nd XV league D/W3 S Away 2 00 p m Swanage Wareham 4th XV v North Dorset 4th XV league D/W4 Home 2 00 p m Ron Butler Publicity Secretary Telephone 01929 550273 e-mail ron@loxia fsnet co uk Purbeck Gazette Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=820 Detectives investigating a number of burglaries in Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth are appealing for witnesses to come forward ndash with officers urging shop owners to be vigilant and to ensure that attached accommodation is secure Between Saturday 26 November and Friday 9 December 2011, police have been informed of six burglaries in Bournemouth, one in Poole and one in Weymouth ndash that officers believe may be connected All eight targeted properties were flats which are located above takeaway shops Stolen items included laptops, jewellery and cash Detective Inspector Rich Dixey said: ldquoAll eight offences may be linked, although investigators are keeping an open mind ldquoI am appealing for anyone who witnessed any of these incidents, and anyone with any information about those responsible, to contact police as soon as possible ldquoI would also like to hear from anyone who has recently been offered laptops and jewellery in unusual circumstances ldquoThe properties were mainly targeted during shop opening hours I would like to remind residents to be vigilant and to consider their home security ndash ensuring windows and doors are securely locked ldquoI also urge residents to consider not leaving items at the rear of properties which could give easy access to first floor windows ndash minimising access opportunities rdquo Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police in confidence on 101 quoting incident number 9:116 Alternatively, call the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111 where mobile phone tariffs may apply Purbeck Gazette Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=818 Free Christmas car parking in Purbeck Purbeck District Council is providing free parking in its pay and display car parks in Wareham and Corfe Castle for four shopping days leading up to Christmas As agreed with the local Chambers of Trade Commerce, free parking will be available from Wednesday 21 December to Saturday 24 December inclusive in the District Councilrsquos car parks at the Rempstone Centre, Church Street Bonnets Lane East and West Streche Road and Connegar Lane In Corfe Castle, parking will be available in West Street car park Wareham Town Council has also agreed to allow free parking in Howards Lane car park, Wareham on the same four days Councillor Mrs Ali Patrick, Local Economy and Social Issues Spokesperson for Purbeck District Council, said: ldquoI am pleased that free Christmas parking will once again be available I hope this encourages people to shop locally, providing a boost to our local businesses rdquo In Swanage, the Town Council is making free parking available in the Main Beach off Victoria Avenue and Broad Road above the Pier car parks on Saturdays 3, 10, 17 and 31 December 2011 It should be noted that the car parks run by Dorset County Council, situated on the Quay and at St Johns Hill, Wareham, will not be free Purbeck Gazette Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=819 Police in Purbeck are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information to come forward after a number of sheep were killed in Wool The incident, in which 9 sheep were killed by another animal happened between 5pm on Sunday 4 December 2011 and 9 30am on Monday 5 December 2011 in Water Meadow Lane area of the village Police Sergeant Glen Caddy, of Purbeck police, said: ldquoThis was a very distressing incident for the owner of the sheep ldquoThe approximate value of the killed sheep is pound2000 ldquoI understand that dog walkers regularly use the area and I am hoping that somebody has seen what happened ldquoI am appealing for witnesses, and anyone with information to contact police as soon as possible rdquo Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police in confidence on 101 quoting incident number 5:102 Alternatively, call the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111 where mobile phone tariffs may apply Purbeck Gazette Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=815 Reports for 3rd December 2011 Coney Hill 46pts Swanage Wareham 10pts Swans travelled to top of the table Coney Hill, in Gloucester on Saturday 3rd Dec, and after the long away journey the hosts had no mercy and took Swans apart It only took Coney Hill five minutes to score their opening try, and for much of the opening period Swans were on the defensive Coney Hill added another try as the left winger went clear and after 15 minutes and the hosts added a penalty goal 15 ndash 0 By half way through the half Coney Hill were pumping the ball downwind into the Swans half and another mistake by Swans meant they added another converted try 22 ndash 0 However a dropped ball by Coney Hill saw Swans winger Charlie Rowberry hacking the ball towards the Coney Hill line and he outran the defence to score in the corner, 22 ndash 5 The home side were not to be dismissed that easily and before half time they added two more tries leaving the score at the break 34 ndash 5 Swans were much better in the second half, but could not penetrate the home defence It took Coney Hill until 15 minutes into the half before they scored another converted try to lead by 41 ndash 5 and as Swans tried to get some points back, another breakaway by Coney Hill gave them another try, ten minutes from the end of the game However in the last few minutes the ball was passed out to Charlie Rowberry who went down the touchline to score a consolation try for Swans, leaving Coney Hill winning by 46pts ndash 10pts Swans team- P Dunsford, C Rowberry, C Parish, D Wilcox, J Blackmore, J Harris, D Prior, J Sheldrake, J Scott, N Audley, D Burgess, D Collins O Andrews 69 , J Scott, A Jones, J Maginn J Desmond 56 sub not used - M Woolley Other Results All Swanage Warehamrsquos other teams had victories: Swanage Wareham 2nd XV 17pts Bournemouth 3rd XV 11pts, league D/W1 S Swanage Wareham 3rd XV 23pts Dorchester 2nd XV 12pts, league D/W3 S Dorchester 3rd XV 24pts Swanage Wareham 4th XV 27pts, league D/W4 Games Next Week Swanage Wareham 1st XV v Reading Abbey league SW1 East , Home, 2 00 p m Swanage Wareham 2nd XV v North Dorset 2nd XV league D/W1 S , Away, 2 00 p m Swanage Wareham 4th XV v Puddletown Vets, Friendly, Away, 2 00 p m Ron Butler Publicity Secretary Telephone 01929 550273 e-mail ron@loxia fsnet co uk Purbeck Gazette Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=816 Dwelling Burglary near Dorchester ndash Witness Appeal Police in Dorchester are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information to come forward after a burglary in Piddlehinton The incident, in which offenders forced entry into a house along the High Street and stole items, happened between 3 30pm and 4 30pm on Thursday 1st December 2011 Police Constable Sandy Redford, of Dorchester police, said: quotThe offenders forced entry via a secure ground floor window while the occupants were out They stole jewellery and cash ndash the amount of which is not being released I believe that those responsible may have left the scene in a vehicle I would appeal to anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious in this area on Thursday afternoon to contact me as soon as possible I'm hopeful that someone will have important information that will help me with this investigation quot Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police in confidence on 101 quoting incident number 1:309 Alternatively, call the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111 where mobile phone tariffs may apply Purbeck Gazette Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=817 The Jurassic Coast marks its tenth birthday with a host of free events Dorset and East Devonrsquos unique coastline makes another bit of history this month, as it completes 10 years as one of the most celebrated locations on Earth The Jurassic Coast was formally designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in December 2001, placing it alongside the likes of the Grand Canyon and Australiarsquos Great Barrier Reef as one of the planetrsquos greatest natural treasures And the anniversary will be marked on Tuesday, 13th December with a series of free guided walks and free entry into Jurassic Coast museums including Lyme Regis, Bridport, Portland, Wareham and Swanage in Dorset, and Sidmouth, Budleigh Salterton and Honiton in Devon Dorset County Council, Devon County Council and the Dorset Coast Forum led the work to achieve World Heritage Site status, and the two councils jointly fund on-going work to protect, conserve and improve understanding of the Site As well as triggering renewed interest in the arearsquos fossil-rich geology, the status has brought major boosts for local tourism, business, visitor facilities, transport and arts projects And legendary natural history film-maker Sir David Attenborough said the past decade was well worth celebrating He commented: quotThe World Heritage Site is an extremely prestigious but well-earned distinction for the Jurassic Coast It is indeed of worldwide importance and a place of great fascination to anyone interested in the history of life on this planet Let us hope that on this, the tenth anniversary of its granting, we do our best not only to maintain but improve the ways by which we enable visitors to understand its significance quot The spectacular layers of rock exposed along the 95 miles of coast between Exmouth in east Devon and Studland in Dorset record 185 million years of earth history As cliffs continue to erode, internationally-important fossil finds continue to be rescued from the beaches ndash most recently the 2 4m pliosaur skull unveiled by Sir David at the Dorset County Museum, Dorchester, in July But the World Heritage Site status has inspired and led to a host of other benefits, including: bull the creation of a world-class identity that links Dorset and East Devon together, and connects them with other World Heritage Sites bull the award-winning X53 Jurassic Coast bus service, which grew from 80,000 passengers in 2001 to 500,000 in 2010 bull an increase in off-peak and overseas visitors, and a boost for businesses bull popular arts and community events such as the annual Lyme Regis Fossil Festival bull new and improved geology collections and displays in local museums bull education links, with more than 1,500 teachers incorporating the coast into school lessons Visitor facilities are also being created or upgraded along the coast, including Durlston Country Park Swanage , Chesil Beach Portland , Seaton and Orco mbe Point, Exmouth And local community charities have benefited, as well Marcus Dixon, of the Lyme Regis Development Trust, said: ldquoThe Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site has been central to our strategy of establishing the area as an internationally significant education destination, and so building a sustainable year-round economy We have run a series of annual fossil festivals and are currently working with The Field Studies Council, Jurassic Coast Team and The Natural History Museum to establish the Jurassic Coast Studies Centre rdquo As well as museums providing free admission for the day, the anniversary on 13th December will also be marked by a series of free guided walks and other events at various locations along the coast These include Lulworth, Charmouth, Portland, Abbotsbury and Durlston Country Park Swanage in Dorset, plus Branscombe and Beer in Devon Swanage Museum will be celebrating this event on 13th Dec with a cake cutting ceremony at 11 30 Dorset County Council Cabinet member for environment Robert Gould said:ldquoThe World Heritage site designation was a landmark moment It gave Dorset a global profile and, ten years on, we are reaping some tremendous benefits And Irsquom sure this is just the beginning rdquo To learn more about the coast, and for a full list of the free events taking place on 13 December, go to www jurassiccoast com/events Purbeck Gazette Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=814 Appeal to Find Missing Bournemouth Man Police are appealing for public help to find a missing 48-year-old Bournemouth man who has not made contact with his family for the last four weeks Ralph Prime, of St Michaelrsquos Road in Bournemouth, was last seen at his home address on Tuesday 1st November 2011 Police Constable Kath MacHardy, of Bournemouth and Poole police, said: ldquoRalphrsquos family have not heard from him for over a month now and they are obviously eager to make sure that he is safe and well rdquo Ralph is white, around six feet two inches tall, with short cropped hair and a moustache PC MacHardy continued: ldquoI would like to hear from anyone who has seen Ralph or knows of his whereabouts ldquoIf Ralph reads this he is asked to make contact with his family or the police, in complete confidence, as we simply want to make sure that he is ok rdquo Anyone with any information or knowledge as to Ralphrsquos whereabouts should call Dorset Police on 101 quoting incident number 12:332 Purbeck Gazette Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=811 History to be Made with the First 1940's Bulleid Pacific Steam Locomotive Running to Euston in London Since 1948! History was made on Saturday when a Bulleid Pacific express steam locomotive ran into London's Euston station for the first time since 1948 ndash when the last Olympic Games was staged in the Capital Sixty-three years on, at the controls of the mighty 87-ton restored Southern Railway Battle of Britain class Bulleid Pacific No 34067 'Tangmere' will be a veteran Dorset railwayman, Mel Cox from Swanage Named after a West Sussex Second World War airfield, 'Tangmere' departed Swanage station with the 500 ton eleven-coach Capital Christmas express charter train at 8am on Saturday, 26 November, 2011, for its five-hour historic run to Euston station in north London With more than 400 passengers on board the special festive train, 'Tangmere' steamed into London with the first ever Swanage to Euston train just after 1pm ndash the first ever Southern Railway Battle of Britain class Bulleid Pacific steam locomotive to haul a train into Euston station since 1948 A part-time driver for West Coast Railways, Mel Cox said: quotIt's a real thrill to be driving the first ever Bulleid Pacific class express steam locomotive into London's Euston station since 1948 ndash the last time the Olympic Games were staged in the Capital ndash and make an important piece of railway history Designed by the highly respected Southern Railway chief mechanical engineer Oliver Bulleid during the Second World War ndash and in its original 'spam can' streamlined boiler casing ndash 'Tangmere' is a remarkable engine and like a finely oiled sewing machine It's sheer Bulleid brilliance 'Tangmere' completed almost 690,000 miles for the Southern Railway and then British Railways between 1947 and 1963 ndash it's a glorious throwback to the glory days of steam train travel in the south and west of England Driving her on the main line to London, it's hard to believe that 'Tangmere' has been restored from a rusting hulk rescued from a south Wales scrapyard to the gleaming steam machine that people see today The Bulleid Pacific class steam locomotives used to haul express trains from the south and west of England up to London at speeds of up to 100 mph quot Mel is also the operations manager for the Swanage Railway He has been a professional railwayman since the early 1960s Growing up in Bournemouth, he was a cleaner and fireman at Bournemouth station's motive power depot during the final years of steam With the end of steam-hauled trains in southern England during early July 1967, Mel switched to working on diesel trains ndash first as a second man driver's assistant and then as a fully fledged driver Mel worked as a fireman on steam trains between Wareham, Corfe Castle and Swanage from the mid-1960s also working on the line when it switched to diesel trains between 1966 and until the end of the Purbeck branch in 1972 Built at Brighton for the Southern Railway in 1947, 'Tangmere' was named at Brighton by Wing Commander W G Clouston during September 1967 after the Second World War Royal Air Force airfield near Chichester in West Sussex Tangmere airfield played an important part in the Battle of Britain during the summer of 1940 as well as dropping Special Operations Executive secret agents deep into Hitler's Nazi-occupied Europe Southern Railway Bulleid Pacific class express steam locomotives worked into Euston station as part of the 1948 locomotive exchange performance trials on the Midland Region of the newly nationalised British Railways Swanage Railway service and special event details are available from the Swanage Railway on 01929 475207 ndash or by visiting on-line at www swanagerailway co uk Purbeck Gazette Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=812 Dorset/Wilts 2nd XV Cup Semi-Final Swanage Wareham 2nd XV 38pts Salisbury 2nd XV 7pts Swanage Warehamrsquos 1st XV did not have a game this weekend, but this 2nd XV Cup Semi-final was an attraction In the first minute, Salisbury missed with a penalty attempt but Swans were soon on the attack and scrum half Scott Smyth broke from a scrum and scored Swansrsquo first try After 20 minutes a break by full back Danny Bennett resulted in his going in for a try, which was converted by fly half Tim Marshall 12-0 Swans continued to press the Salisbury line and went further ahead as winger Toby Price scored in the corner 17 ndash 0 at half time Early in the second half, once again Danny Bennett evaded the Salisbury defence to score his second try Marshall added the extras Salisbury came back into the game and on the hour mark went over for a converted try 24 ndash 7 Almost from the restart Swans went further ahead as flank forward Jesse Scott powered his way over the try line Marshall added the conversion Salisbury tried to come back into the game and put Swans defence under some pressure, but just before the final whistle winger Toby Price broke clear to add a further converted try, giving Swans 2nd XV a 38pt ndash 7pt victory, and a passage into the final Other Result Bournemouth 3rd XV 68pts Swanage Wareham 3rd XV 15pts D/W 3rd XV Cup Games Next Week, 3rd December Swanage Wareham 1st XV v Coney Hill league SW1 East , Away, 2 00p m Swanage Wareham 2nd XV v Bournemouth 3rd XV, league D/W1 S , Home, 2 00 p m Swanage Wareham 3rd XV v Dorchester 2nd XV, league D/W3 S , Home, 2 00 p m Swanage Wareham 4th XV v Dorchester 3rd XV, league D/W 4 Away, 2 00 p m Vice Presidents Luncheon Swans are holding their second Vice-Presidents luncheon prior to the game against Reading Abbey on the 10th December Because of the early kick off the luncheon will be 11 30 for 12 noon To make sure of your attendance contact John Benham on 01202 578286 as places are limite d Purbeck Gazette Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=813 Police in Purbeck are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information to come forward following a burglary in the Sandford area The incident, in which an offender forced entry into a house along Filleul Road , before stealing jewellery and money, happened between 11 30am and 4pm on Wednesday 23rd November 2011 Police Constable Ryan Dunkerley, of Purbeck police, said: ldquoI understand that the offender entered the property by forcing a window A burgundy jewellery box containing a bracelet, earrings, a watch and a necklace was stolen Money from a handbag was also taken I am appealing for anyone who witnessed any suspicious or unusual activity in the Filleul Road area and anyone with any information about those responsible to call police urgently Any information, no matter how insignificant you may believe it to be, may help me with my investigation rdquo Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police in confidence on 101 quoting incident number 23:341 Alternatively, call the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111 where mobile phone tariffs may apply Purbeck Gazette Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=810 More than 200 motorists were caught committing motoring offences during the Poole Surround a Town event on Wednesday, 23 November 2011 The event, which was run by Dorset Road Safe partner organisations, formed part of the lsquono excusersquo project and resulted in 227 traffic offences being detected in Poole throughout the day The motorists not wearing seatbelts were offered the opportunity to attend educational courses on the day, with the majority of drivers committing other offences being offered courses at a later date rather than receiving points, fines or court appearances Of the 227 offences, 110 were issued by traffic officers, with the remaining 117 offences being for speeding offences that were detected by safety camera vans More than 45% 49 offenders of the offences detected by officers were for drivers not wearing a seatbelt, and of those 88% 43 offenders took the opportunity to attend a seatbelt awareness presentation held at the LV=Streetwise Centre By agreeing to take part, these drivers avoided having to pay a pound60 fine One of the drivers detected not wearing a seatbelt attended the free seatbelt course and kindly showed her support by sending in the following email Please note, this has been redacted for Data Protection compliance: ldquoI was stopped today by one of your police motor cycle team for not wearing my seat belt and was given the choice to attend a safety belt awareness talk, which I did! ldquoI wanted to say thank you to you all for the hard work you all put into making the public aware of the dangers of not wearing a seat belt ldquoI went along to this talk at 10 30 today and was so impressed with the lady who spoke to us She was so lovely and at no time made any of us feel uncomfortable Please pass on my thanks to her and let her know she is doing a great job for the public ldquoI work at [information removed] and I have been driving all the staff mad today about wearing their seatbelts!! ldquoThis may sound a bit mad but I am glad I got stopped today because it has made me really think about the dangers on the road rdquo Brian Austin, lsquono excusersquo Project Manager, said: ldquoThe Surround a Town events support our priority to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on Dorsetrsquos roads through enforcement, education and publicity ldquoDisappointingly, 26 drivers risked their lives and the lives of everyone around them by using their mobile phones whilst driving ldquoThis was an increase in the number of mobile phone offences detected in the last operation at Poole in July 2010, and all partners are determined to use all resources available to detect and process these unnecessary threats on our roads ldquoOne speeding motorist was caught driving at 102 miles per hour on the Dorset Way near Tower Park which has a speed limit of 50 miles per hour ldquoThe Automated Number Plate Recognition Spectrum Van also played a key role in detecting those drivers who consider that MOTs, Insurance and Excise Licences do not apply to them The 10 motorists detected on the day found out these conditions do apply to them as well rdquo As part of the dayrsquos events, staff delivered the lsquoDying to Drive rsquo and lsquoDying to Ride rsquo presentations to sixth form students from Ashdown Technology College The students also took the opportunity to visit Dorset Road Safersquos lsquo50/50 carrsquo, which recently won a National Trading Standards award This was based, along with colleagues from Poole Trading Standards and Dorset Fire Rescue Service officers, at the ASDA store in Canford Heath Also, an impressive array of skilled professionals worked with over 300 very polite and enthusiastic children to give advice on cycle safety at Canford Heath Middle School Additionally Jason and James from the Cycle Sporting Group repaired and serviced any bicycles brought in by the children, free of charge To complete a full day of operations, road safety partners from Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole councils, along with fire officers, police officers, Driver Awareness Scheme instructors and colleagues from the Institute of Advanced Motorists, engaged with the public at the ASDA store in Canford Heath and the Dolphin Centre Large numbers of the public were able to ask for advice and guidance on a wide range of road safety issues at these locations, and gratefully took advantage of a large selection of information flyers, leaflets and ldquono excuserdquo promotional materials Chief Inspector Bob Nichols, Head of Dorset Policersquos Traffic Unit, said: ldquoWednesdayrsquos operation underlines the commitment of all the local agencies involved in the aftermath of serious and fatal collisions to seek similar reductions in casualties in Poole to those seen in the Dorset County Council area over the past 18 months ldquoWe will continue to detect those offences that contribute to collisions and support education over prosecution where appropriate rdquo Martin Baker, Road Safety Manager at the Borough of Poole, said: ldquoIt was wonderful to see all our partners from across Dorset working together to help reduce casualties in Poole ldquoI am encouraged that the amount of offences we are targeting are beginning to reduce but there remain a core of drivers who continue to flout the law ldquoIt is vital that we try and educate all motorists about the potential consequences associated with the way a minority continue to behave on our roads rdquo Listed below are some details and excuses that enforcement officers witnessed from offending motorists during the Poole Surround a Town event: bull A man on Ringwood Road was caught using his mobile phone because his friend rang to wish him a happy birthday bull One man caught on Ringwood Road for not wearing his seatbelt heard on the radio that the Surround a Town event was operating a few minutes before he ran into an enforcement team bull A lady talking on her phone with it held in her hand believed that it was ldquohands freerdquo as she was on speaker phone bull One gentleman was flashed by the Safety Camera on Ringwood Road when, at the same time, he was observed by officers using his mobile phone bull Three separate motorists drove past officers whilst wearing their seatbelt held under their arm rather than properly secured ndash they each received a ticket bull One lady sought to excuse herself by telling officers that her recent cosmetic surgery made wearing a seatbelt too painful Purbeck Gazette Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=809 Officers in Wareham are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information to come forward after three digger buckets were allegedly stolen from a construction site just outside the town ndash with a man being arrested The alleged theft happened sometime during the night of Thursday 17th November and Friday 18th November 2011 at a site near the Worgret Manor Hotel along Worgret Manor Road Police Constable Craig Tatton, of Purbeck police, said: ldquoThe three digger buckets are approximately 1 foot, 2 5 feet and 4 feet wide All three have teeth and are marked with the letters AD These items are extremely heavy and would have required a larger vehicle to move them I am appealing for anyone who witnessed any unusual activity in the Worgret Road area during that night to contact police as soon as possible Due to the unusual nature of the items, they should stand out if anyone tries to sell them as buckets or for scrap I would therefore urge anyone who is being offered digger buckets of this description to inform Dorset Police All calls will be treated in the strictest of confidence rdquo A 47-year-old man was arrested and has been released on bail while police enquiries continue Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police in confidence on 101 quoting incident number 18:98 Alternatively, call the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111 where mobile phone tariffs may apply Purbeck Gazette Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=808 Get off to a running start this December and embrace the festive spirit by joining Weldmar Hospicecare Trust for some seasonal fun at their Family Santa Fun Run on Sunday 11th December , starting at 11am from the Dorchester Town Football Club, Weymouth Avenue, Dorchester The 2 mile route around Dorchester is suitable for all ages so everyone can get involved - you can walk, jog or run and the warm up session will add to the fun On arrival back at the football club there will be mulled wine and seasonal refreshments kindly sponsored by the Hearn Group Some of the Magpies football team will be taking part and there will be music to round off the event Registration fee: Age 16yrs and over pound10 to include 5pc Santa suit, Age 5yrsndash15yrs pound6 to include 3pc Santa suit, under 5rsquos Free including a Santa hat To register contact Sue Leighton 01305 215320 or download a registration form at www weld-hospice org uk/santarun At the end of the event adults will receive a free Christmas pudding and children a small Christmas soft toy We ho-ho-hope that you will join us - Itrsquos all in a good Claus! Purbeck Gazette Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=806 Plans for a specially designed holiday lodge for severely disabled ex-servicemen and women, sited in countryside just a mile from Swanage adjacent to Herston Caravan Site, have been given the go-ahead by Purbeck District Council The Heroes Haven Swanage project aims to provide an opportunity for former service personnel who have suffered serious injuries to enjoy a ldquonormalrdquo family holiday, and hence the holiday lodge is intended to accommodate not only disabled ex-servicemen and women but also their families, including young children, and carers Over 200 British service personnel returning from front line duties in recent conflicts have lost limbs, with multiple amputees now a higher proportion of casualties than ever before Although holiday accommodation with disabled facilities is offered in the Purbeck area, there is none with the necessary facilities to cater for such severe injuries The specially equipped timber lodge will be sited on what is currently agricultural land, adjacent to an existing holiday park, and will be surrounded by its own purpose designed gardens The proposed garden and landscaping, designed by Rumbold-Ayers landscape designers, was a key factor in obtaining planning approval for a sensitive site in the South Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty ldquoThe landscape design had to not only minimize the visual impact of the lodge, but also to provide a garden where former soldiers, many of whom suffer from post traumatic stress, can benefit from the tranquility of being in the countrysiderdquo explained landscape designer Svend Rumbold ldquoAs well as being wheelchair-accessible, there are some unusual details like avoiding bright red and orange flowers ndash colours which could trigger flash-backs rdquo Work on-site is due to start almost immediately and installation of the timber lodge is due before Christmas, with the official opening scheduled for spring of next year ldquoWe are obviously all delighted, and relieved, to have secured planning permission The lodge is substantially complete at the factory, and we are now all set to begin preparing the site for installationrdquo commented Steve Churchill, Chairman of Trustees, Heroes Haven Swanage ldquoThe fundraising efforts by our supporters have been absolutely tremendous, and we are really lucky to have secured significant additional support from some major charities such as the Talbot Village Trust, Help for Heroes and Care for Casualties, which will allow us to press ahead quickly rdquo Picture shows Trustees, Mrs Vicky Fooks and Mrs Linda Welsh as they review the plans on-site Purbeck Gazette Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=807 Swanage Wareham 17pts Maidenhead 22pts Swanage Wareham entertained Maidenhead at Bestwall Saturday 19th November Swans started by giving away a try in the first minutes, as an attempted clearance was charged down, and the visitors scrum half Elliott Brown was quickly onto the ball to score the try Fly half Scott Harris added the extras 0 ndash 7 However from the restart Maidenhead were penalised and Swans centre Charlie Parish kicked the penalty goal From then on Swans were all over the visitors, and for nearly twenty minutes the play was close to the Maidenhead 22 metres line Unfortunately Swans could not turn this pressure into many points as the only try came from a line out move to centre Darren Wilcox who scored close to the posts Parish added the conversion 10 ndash 7 Maidenhead missed with a penalty then Swans managed a second try just before the interval as Charlie Parish grabbed a loose ball to go over the try line He added the extras as Swans went into the break 17 ndash 7 ahead Early in the second half Swans back row forward James Van Tuyl broke clear and only a last ditch tackle prevented his scoring With 15 minutes of the half gone Harris reduced Swans lead with a penalty, and then a good break by Maidenhead had winger Mike Burnett scoring a try out wide 17 ndash 15 Swans came back at Maidenhead, but failed to score, and with only five minutes left a line out resulted in a catch/drive by Maidenhead, pushed Swans over their line and no 8 Alex Hankinson touched down Harris added the conversion giving Maidenhead the victory by 17pts ndash 22pts Swans team- P Dunsford, D Jones, C Parish, D Wilcox, J Blackmore, J Harris, D Prior, J Sheldrake, J Scott, N Audley O Andrews 64 , D Burgess, D Collins, A Jones J Desmond 64 , J Van Tuyl, J Maginn Unused sub M Woolley Other Results Frome 2nd XV 24pts Swanage Wareham 2nd XV 13pts - league D/W1 S Blandford 2nd XV 25pts Swanage Wareham 3rd XV 14pts - league D/W3 S Swanage Wareham 4th XV 15pts Bournemouth 4th XV 15pts Games Next Week, 26th November Swanage Wareham 2nd XV v Salisbury 2nd XV - D/W 2nd XV Cup ndash Home, 2 15 p m Swanage Wareham 3rd XV v Bournemouth 3rd XV - D/W 3rd XV Cup ndash Away, 2 15 p m Vice Presidents Luncheon :Swans are holding their second Vice-Presidents luncheon prior to the game against Reading Abbey on the 10th December Because of the early kick off the luncheon will be 11 30 for 12 noon To make sure of your place contact John Benham on 01202 578286 Ron Butler Publicity Secretary Telephone 01929 550273, e-mail: ron@loxia fsnet co uk Purbeck Gazette Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=805 Dorsetndashwide Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Site Allocations Joint Development Plan Document Purbeck District Council is working together with the other Dorset Councils to plan for the site needs of Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople These sites will be identified in a joint Development Plan Document which will eventually be adopted by each of the individual councils across the county The Councils have appointed consultants, Baker Associates, to prepare the Development Plan Document DPD on their behalf The Issues and Options document is the first stage in the preparation of the DPD, and is subject to public consultation between 18 November 2011 and 10 February 2012 The purpose of the public consultation is to invite views on the issues and options identified in this document, the site options contained within it, and to invite suggestions for additional site locations which may be suitable to meet the needs of the Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople in Dorset Views are also sought on the key questions raised in the document Baker Associates have prepared this document Whilst the Dorset councils have worked closely with the consultants, the councils have made no decision on the site options contained within the document We welcome your feedback on the four sites put forward by landowners for consideration listed below and would also appreciate your suggestions for alternative sites: bull County Farm, Burnham Lane/Washpond Lane, Swanage 2 pitches bull Land off High Street, Herston Cross, Swanage 5 pitches bull Land at Washpond Lane and Ulwell Road, Swanage 2 pitches bull Land adjacent to Meadow View, East Burton Road, Wool 2 pitches There are currently two public exhibitions planned in Purbeck, where you will have the opportunity to look at the consultation material and talk directly to Baker Associates and local Councillors: bull 21 November 2011, 3 30 ndash 7 30 pm, The Mowlem, Shore Road, Swanage bull 1 December 2011, 2 00 ndash 5 30 pm, D'Urberville Centre, Colliers Lane, Wool Copies of the consultation documents can be on the websitewww dorsetforyou com/travellerpitches or viewed at the Council Offices and in the followingplaces: Corfe Castle Library, East Street, Corfe Castle Mon 2 30pm-4 30pm, Wed 4 30pm-6 30pm, Sat 10am-12pm , Lytchett Matravers Library, High Street, Lytchett Matravers Mon 9 30am1pm/2pm-5pm, Tue 2pm-5pm, Thu 9 30am-1pm, Fri 2pm-7pm, Sat 9 30am-12 30pm , Upton Library, Corner House, Upton Cross, Poole Mon 2pm-5pm, Tue 9 30am-12 30pm, Wed 9 30am-12 30pm/2pmndash6 30pm, Fri 2pm-5pm, Sat 9am-12 30pm , Lytchett Minster Upton Town Council, 1 Moorland Parade, Moorland Way, Upton Mon-Thu 9am-12 30pm , Swanage Library, High Street, Swanage Mon 10am-6 30pm, Wed 9 30am-5pm, Fri 9 30am-5pm, Sat 9 30am-4pm , SwanageTown Council, Town Hall, High Street, Swanage September Mon-Fri 10pm-1pm/2pm-4pm October Mon-Fri 10pm-1pm/2pm-3pm , Wareham Library, South Street, Wareham Mon 10am-5pm, Tue 2pmndash6 30pm, Thu 9 30am-5pm, Fri 9 30am-5pm, Sat 9am12 30pm , WarehamTown Council, Town Hall, Wareham Mon-Fri 10pm-1pm , Wool Library,DrsquoUrberville Centre, Colliers Lane, Wool Tue 3pm-6pm, Thu 10am-12pm,Sat 10am - 12pm , Wool Parish Council, High Street, Wool Mon 9 30am ndash12 30pm, Tue 9 30am ndash 12 30pm, Wed 4pm ndash 7pm and all other Dorsetlibraries If you would like to make an on-line comment, please visit: www dorsetforyou com/travellerpitches If you prefer to send your comments by post, questionnaires are available at libraries, on-line or by request from this office Please return these to: Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Consultation, County HallColliton Park, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 1XJ Please ensure that your on-line or postal questionnaire is submitted by 10 February 2012 Purbeck Gazette Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=804 Officers in Swanage are carrying out increased foot patrols in the town centre and surrounding areas to prevent people under the age of 18 from drinking alcohol and causing anti-social behaviour Sergeant Jon McCarthy, Purbeck Deputy Neighbourhood Inspector, said: ldquoWe have had a number of complaints from members of the public recently about children as young as 13 drinking alcohol in Swanage ldquoNot only is underage drinking illegal, it can have a devastating effect on the body at such a young age and can also cause children to behave in an anti-social manner where they could put themselves and others at risk ldquoI am encouraging parents to be vigilant with their children and to ensure that they know where their children are going when they go out ldquoParents should also make sure alcohol from their home cannot be taken by their children ldquoWe will act on information provided to us by the public, and we will increase patrols in areas where we receive reports of children drinking alcohol We will seize alcohol from anyone under the age of 18 ldquoIf children are caught drinking alcohol, their parents and Social Services will be informed If a child is caught drinking alcohol again, we will visit the individual and their parents at home and any further incidents could result in that child receiving an Anti-Social Behaviour Order or an Anti-social Behaviour Contract rdquo Purbeck Safer Neighbourhood Team will continue to work with partner agencies, including youth centres and Purbeck District Council, to tackle underage drinking Purbeck Gazette Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=803 Officers investigating the theft of poultry in Organford are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information to come forward after a large number of hens were stolen During the incident, which took place between 5 45pm on Wednesday 2 November 2011 and 7 45am on Thursday 3 November 2011 at an address along Wareham Road in Organford near Poole, 20 brown laying hens were taken Police Constable Claire Jephcott, of Purbeck police, said: ldquoAll of the hens are wearing plastic yellow leg rings and are worth between pound15 and pound20 each rdquo In a previous incident in October the same premises had been targeted Between 7 30pm on Monday 10 October and 8 45am on Tuesday 11 October 2011 a small poultry house and a duck with its ten ducklings were stolen PC Jephcott continued: ldquoThese have been very upsetting incidents for the victim ldquoIrsquom keen to hear from anyone with any information about these incidents, and also from anyone who has been offered poultry in unusual circumstances or for an unusually low price rdquo Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police in confidence on 101 quoting incident numbers 03:70 or 18:86 Alternatively, call the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111 where mobile phone tariffs may apply Purbeck Gazette Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=801 The fire that damaged a large swathe of protected grassland on the cliffs at Durdle Door was most likely started by an off course firework It is believed that the rocket was let off from the footpath overlooking Man o War Bay before it was blown back setting fire to the cliff and causing damage to the grassland and vegetation The Dorset Fire Service was called to deal with the fire which swept through the Site of Special Scientific Interest causing damage to an area the size of a football pitch lsquoThis incident illustrates how unpredictable fireworks can be and how a lsquobit of funrsquo in the countryside can turn into accidental wildfirersquo commented Maddy Pfaff, Head Ranger for the Lulworth Estate who own and manage 12,000 acres including Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door lsquoThis fire has left an ugly scar on the landscape which is known for its rare flora and vegetation, it will take months, maybe years to fully recoverrsquo The area was vulnerable due to a dry period, and the flames fuelled by the on-shore wind It is fortunate that the footpath acted as a firebreak which saved the fire causing further damage to the SSSI grassland below Durdle Door Holiday Park lsquoWe would like to think that this sends a timely message against the indiscriminate setting off of fireworks anywhere, and particularly in the countryside Better to play safe and enjoy organised events where safety for people and the environment comes firstrsquo advised Maddy Purbeck Gazette Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=800 Purbeck District Council is to consult on possible sites for Gypsies and Travellers, but more are required across the district The government requires local councils to find suitable sites to accommodate Gypsies and Travellers within their areas In Dorset, the district councils, County Council and Poole and Bournemouth councils are working together to produce a joint plan for Gypsy and Traveller sites across the county The councils have jointly appointed planning consultants, Baker Associates, to carry out this work Initial estimates have shown that 21 residential permanent pitches and 20 transit pitches would be required to meet the current need within the district of Purbeck Baker Associates used a number of sources to identify potential sites, including a formal request for sites council-owned land sites previously put forward for housing sites owned by large private estates and sites with a history of Gypsy/Traveller use At present, the Consultants have only been able to shortlist four possible sites, these are: bull County Farm, Burnham Lane/Washpond Lane, Swanage 2 pitches bull Land off High Street, Herston Cross, Swanage 5 pitches bull Land at Washpond Lane and Ulwell Road, Swanage 2 pitches bull Land adjacent to Meadow View, East Burton Road, Wool 2 pitches Purbeck District Council is now seeking residentsrsquo views on the suitability of any of these sites Councillor Gary Suttle, Leader of Purbeck District Council, said: ldquoldquoGypsy and Traveller communities are recognised ethnic groups and providing for their needs is a duty of this council It is very important that our local communities give us their views We are also working to find other potential sites as clearly the current shortlisted sites are heavily weighted in two areas, we would prefer to have sites around the district If anyone can identify other sites, we would like to hear about themrdquo Councillor Suttle continued: ldquoThis is the first stage of the consultation process on a very complex issue and I wish to stress that no decisions have yet been made about sites and no decisions will be made until we get our residentsrsquo views Councillors believe that our residents views on this consultation will be the opinions that will form our strategy in this matterrdquo A further public consultation would take place on any new sites put forward A public consultation on sites suggested so far in Dorset will start on Friday 18 November 2011 and will last for 12 weeks Questionnaires and leaflets will be available from council offices and libraries There will be a series of public exhibitions across the county and information will also be available at: www dorsetforyou com/travellerpitches Purbeck District Council will discuss the sites and consultation at the November Council meeting and dates and times of exhibitions in Purbeck will be confirmed after that meeting After the consultation, the results will be analysed The Council will then need to approve or reject the recommendations made Any approved recommendations will form the basis of a revised development plan document A public consultation on the revised document will then take place later in 2012 Following this second consultation, the consultants will make any necessary changes to the document If these are significant, councils will need to approve the changes Following this, the councils will jointly submit the document for examination by the government Purbeck Gazette Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=802 Annette Brooke, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole and Co-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Communities and Local Government Policy Committee, welcomes the Governmentrsquos proposed consultation on reforming council tax in the UK She said: ldquoIt is only right that at a time of dire housing shortages in this country, second homes should be treated on an equal basis as primary residences in terms of council tax In an area like Mid Dorset and North Poole with a high level of second homes, this proposal would ensure local councils receive the right level of finances they need to provide vital local services, and any incentives to bring empty homes back into use must be welcomed as we desperately need more housing for local people but need to protect our natural environment rdquo The changes, if successful, would abolish mandatory council tax discounts on second homes and give local councils freedom to tailor council tax to local requirements The plans also include an empty homes premium which would give councils the flexibility to charge an additional 50% on homes that have been empty for two or more years, encouraging the re-occupation of the 75,000 vacant dwellings that Shelter estimate are in the South West region alone and The announcement from the Department of Communities and Local Government outlines a consultation on a number of progressive tax reforms designed to reduce Britainrsquos unacceptably long housing waiting lists while raising much needed revenue ndash it is estimated that the proposals will bring in pound100 million in extra funding every year, which would be reallocated to protect frontline services Annette, having long campaigned on these issues, noted the benefit the changes would have for her constituency and is pleased with the shift in power from central government to the local level In response to the announcement, Annette said ldquoIt is only right that at a time of dire housing shortages in this country, second homes should be treated on an equal basis as primary residences in terms of council tax In an area like Mid Dorset and North Poole with a high level of second homes, this proposal would ensure local councils receive the right level of finances they need to provide vital local services rdquo Purbeck Gazette Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=798 Dogs Destroyed After Livestock Worrying Police in Dorset are urging dog owners across the region to be responsible following several reports of livestock worrying in the west of the county On Monday, 24 October 2011, two sheep were attacked and killed in the vicinity of Cowleaze Farm in West Bay and two further sheep were killed on land near East Road in Bridport Two large dogs were seen nearby and are believed to be responsible Police received a further report of livestock worrying at 4 15pm on Tuesday, 25 October 2011 Two Huskies were seen chasing alpacas in the area of Skilling Hill ndash an adult Alpaca female was killed Police officers, assisted by a member of the public, seized the two dogs and placed them in kennels Yesterday, Wednesday, 26 October 2011, the two dogs were destroyed by vets PC Scott McGregor, of Bridport Police, said: ldquoThese recent incidents relate to uncontrolled dogs running loose and killing livestock ndash the legislation is clear on this matter and it is taken seriously ldquoIt includes causing injury or suffering to the animals or, in the case of females, the abortion or loss of any foetus through being chased by dogs ldquoWhile the vast majority of dog owners are responsible, police do periodically receive reports of livestock worrying ldquoA minority of dog owners consider that a dog running around or among livestock is an innocuous activity and it is not until later that the true extent of the trauma caused has been realised Dog owners may be oblivious that their family pet is worrying livestock out of their sight ldquoMy message to dog owners is to be responsible and always ensure that your animal is on a lead when around livestock Never assume that just because your dog is typically gentle and calm that it could never be a threat to other animals ldquoFollowing this advice will keep you, your dog, the farmer and his livestock happy and healthy Otherwise you may be held accountable and your dog will pay the ultimate price rdquo Anyone with any information about livestock worrying is urged to call Dorset Police on 101 Anyone wishing to report a stray or missing dog should contact their local authority Purbeck Gazette Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=797 Sailsbury 35pts Swanage Wareham 13pts Swanage Wareham travelled to Salisbury, in this league this is Swans nearest away fixture Swans were still without some of their more influential players due to injuries but they could only play the squad that was available Salisbury started well putting Swans under pressure and after five minutes Rory Davis put the home side 3 ndash 0 with a penalty Six minutes later Swans replied as Charlie Parish landed one for the visitors Swans increased their lead a few minutes later as Parish landed another penalty Swans continued to attack for much of the rest of the first half but it was not until close to the break that from a maul prop forward Ollie Andrews forced his way over the try line Parish added the extras giving Swans a 3 ndash 13 half time lead However two minutes into the second half a kick ahead had Salisbury winger Luke Tanabuna won the race for the ball to score a try Swans found that whenever they kicked off Salisbury, using the wind, pumped the ball deep into Swans territory so Swans were just defending Salisbury added a second try 15 minutes into the half to level the scores Davis added a penalty to put Salisbury ahead, by which time Salisbury were on top and were able to add four more tries before the end as Swans never managed to get into the Salisbury 22 in the second half, with Salisbury winning by 35pts to Swans 13pts Swans team :- P Dunsford, D Price-Smith, C Parish, , D Bennett C Tomes, J Harris, J Sheldrake, A Jones, O Andrews T Frampton 65 , D Burgess, D Collins, J Warren, A Jones D Penney 54 Other Results Weymouth 1st XV 24pts Swanage Wareham 2nd XV 8pts league D/W1 S Swanage Wareham 4th XV 0pts Wimborne 3rd XV 27pts league D/W4 Game Next Week - 5th November Swanage Wareham 1st XV v Salisbury D/W Cup Away 2 15 p m Ron Butler Publicity Secretary Telephone 01929 550273 e-mail ron@loxia fsnet co uk Purbeck Gazette Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=799 Plea For Adopters In Dorset More Dorset children need a permanent home than ever before, according to Dorset County Councilrsquos adoption team The plea for adoptive parents is being made as part of National Adoption Week, which begins today Monday, 31 October In 2010, more than 4,700 children across England and Wales were adopted In Dorset, around 290 children are in the local authorityrsquos care and between eight and fifteen are placed for adoption each year The county councilrsquos adoption manager Andrea Orchard said: ldquoAcross the country there has been an increase in the numbers of children aged between one and four coming into the care of local authorities Here in Dorset, patterns are currently reflecting national trends ldquoThere could be many reasons for the rise, including the current social and economic pressures and the aftermath of the tragic death of baby Peter Connelly in 2008 ldquoWe may not know all the reas ons, but what we do know is that when children canrsquot live with their own families, their needs are most likely to be met with another family rdquo The county council is looking for people who can offer a child or sibling group a loving and supportive family for life and help them recover from the pressures which brought them into care so they go on to thrive People from all walks of life go on to become successful adopters and are fully supported throughout the process Cabinet member for childrenrsquos services Toni Coombs said: ldquoIt is a sad fact that some children that come into our care are simply unable to return to their birth family, because of neglect, abuse or perhaps just because their parents are unable to cope with being a parent ldquoAdoption is one of the best ways we know of giving these children, whatever their age, a family for life Some of them have had traumatic experiences, others have learning difficulties or health pr oblems and itrsquos vital that loving and permanent families are found for them ldquoThe process for becoming an adoptive parent is rigorous - but there are no blanket bans - so please donrsquot think wersquoll turn you down because yoursquore over 40, for example, single, or donrsquot own your own home rdquo One adoptive parent in Dorset describes their experience of caring for a child: ldquoItrsquos a wonderful feeling We are so incredibly proud of our son and the huge strides he has made in all aspects of his life He is in his first year at school and has settled in brilliantly His teacher is very pleased with him and his progress has been fantastic He is in a really happy place and I think I can say we are the happiest we have ever been rdquo Mrs Coombs added:ldquoIf adoption isnrsquot for you, then maybe you would consider fostering a child Alternatively, if you know someone who could help, please spread the word rdquo More information is available at www dorsetforyou com/adoption You can also call 01305 221450 and speak to a member of the adoption or fostering team Purbeck Gazette Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=796 Police are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information to come forward after two burglaries at public houses in the Dorchester area The first incident occurred sometime overnight between Thursday, 20 October 2011 and Friday, 21 October 2011 at the Black Dog public house on Main Street in Broadmayne A quantity of cash, from both the bar area and the staff storage area, was stolen during the burglary This included up to pound350 taken from a Christmas club fund in the bar, which local residents had contributed to The second incident happened at the Coach and Horses public house in Winterborne Abbas, in the early hours of Wednesday, 26 October 2011 Again, a quantity of cash was stolen during this burglary Inspector Les Fry, of Dorchester Police, said: ldquoIrsquod urge anyone with any information about either of these incidents to contact me ldquoThe theft of the Christmas club fund at the Black Dog pub is a real blow to the local residents who had been saving up for their Christmas festivities ldquoIt appears at this stage that the incidents are linked, but we are keeping an open mind and I need to hear from anyone with information about either incident ldquoIrsquod also urge home and business owners to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to police rdquo Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police in confidence on 101 quoting incident number 21:095 Alternatively, call the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111 where mobile phone tariffs may apply Purbeck Gazette Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=795 People affected by a gas mains leak in Swanage have been able to return to their homes Residents from 28 properties in Victoria Avenue were evacuated yesterday after the leak occurred Engineers repaired the leak during the night and the residents were able to return to their homes this morning Purbeck District Council set up a rest centre at the United Reform Church Hall, Swanage where those affected were offered food, drink and somewhere to sleep Hotel accommodation was offered to older residents and those with health concerns Steve Mackenzie, Chief Executive of Purbeck District Council, said: ldquoI would like to thank everyone for their patience and the Emergency Services, WRVS, Transco and Dorset County Council and Purbeck District Council staff for their support rdquo Picture by Stephan Foote Purbeck Gazette Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=794 Officers in Purbeck are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information to come forward after a series of burglaries in Bere Regis Four incidents, which were reported in October, may be linked The first burglary, in which unknown offenders entered a house along West Street, happened between 8pm on Saturday, 8 October 2011, and 12 30am on Sunday, 9 October 2011 A handbag was stolen Sometime overnight between Thursday, 13 October 2011, and Friday, 14 October 2011, a mobile phone, a watch and a quantity of cash was stolen from another property along West Street In the third incident, which occurred during the night between Saturday, 15 October 2011, and Sunday, 16 October 2011, a property along Barn Road had been entered and a handbag taken A property in the same road was targeted during the early hours of Wednesday, 19 October 2011, when personal possessions, including a mobile phone, a digital camera and collectable coins were stolen Purbeck Neighbourhood Inspector Tracey Baker said: ldquoThis series of burglaries may be linked to an earlier incident on Tuesday, 6 September 2011, when a purse was removed from a property in Rye Hill Close ldquoAll offences have taken place overnight or in the early hours of the morning and access has been gained via an insecure window or door ldquoI am appealing for anyone who witnessed any of these burglaries, and anyone who has any information about those responsible, to contact police urgently ldquoAlso, I would urge anyone who may have seen or heard anything unusual at these times in this area to contact police as soon as possible ldquoThe Safer Neighbourhood Team has already given crime prevention advice in Bere Regis through the distribution of leaflets ldquoOur advice is to be vigilant and ensure that windows and doors are kept secured and locked, particularly overnight or when you are going are out, and particularly in the lead up to Christmas Any suspicious activities should be reported to Dorset Police rdquo Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police in confidence on 101 quoting incident number 9:239 Alternatively, call the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111 where mobile phone tariffs may apply Purbeck Gazette Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=793 Residents from twenty eight homes in Victoria Avenue, Swanage, have been evacuated today due to a serious gas leak Latest estimates suggest that it could be early Wednesday morning before the gas main is fixed and residents are able to return home Locals at the scene have suggested that builders currently working on the new Baptist church site in Victoria Avenue punctured the gas main in error, leading to the attendance of three fire crews and the police on the scene Residents reported gas emitting from the main this morning at aprox 9 30am this morning The fire and police services then attended, closing the road while investigations were made The road has remained closed and is likely to remain closed until early Wednesday Most residents evacuated are staying with friends and family, although some have been offered room at the United Reform Church and Swanage Railway Waiting Office Some have recently been allowed accompanied access to their homes in order to retrieve belongings needed for over night stays elsewhere Swanage Railway have had to suspend their steam services, running diesel services only until the main is repaired Photo by local resident, Stephan Foote - thank you!! Purbeck Gazette Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=791 Swanage Wareham Rugby Update Swanage Wareham 20pts Bletchley 13pts Swanage Wareham welcomed Bletchley to Bestwall in this latest Southwest 1 East fixture last Saturday, but Swans were without Charlie Rowberry, and skipper Robert Elford who was injured last week The first ten minutes were evenly contested, but when Swans were defending a few minutes later they were penalised under their own posts and Bletchley kicker Dave Coleman put the visitors 0 ndash3 ahead Swans were soon back on the attack, but a misplaced pass enabled Bletchley centre Ryan Crane to intercept and he ran 80 metres to the try line Coleman converted 0- 10 to Bletchley after 20 minutes A couple of penalties took Swans into the visitors 22 and from a line out the ball was moved to Swans winger Charlie Parish who jinked his way through a mass of Bletchley defenders to score He added the extras 7 ndash 10 Just before the interval from a loose ball Swans centre Glynn Alner picked up, beat four Bletchley defenders to score a try half way out Charlie Parish added the conversion 14 ndash 10 at half time The second half started well for Swans as Bletchley went offside and Parish landed the kick 17 ndash 10 However within five minutes Bletchley were back in the game as Coleman landed one for the visitors The rest of the game was evenly contested with both sides going close, but infringements kept the scores competitive Parish added a penalty goal for Swans taking the score to 20 ndash 13 Bletchley then pounded the Swans line for the final five minutes, but determined defence by Swans kept them out so Swans picked up the four points for the win with the visitors claiming a losing bonus point Swans team :- P Dunsford, C Parish, D Prior, G Alner J Warren 47 , D Jones, J Harris, C Tomes, J Sheldrake, A Smith O Andrews 40 , T Frampton, D Burgess, D Collins A Jones, J Maginn, S Marshallsay unused replacement M Woolley OTHER RESULTS Swanage Wareham 2nd XV kept up their unbeaten run in league D/W1 S with a brilliant away victory at Sherborne 2nd XV winning by 31pts to 17 to stay top of the table with 25pts from five matches Swanage Wareham 3rd XV 27pts Salisbury 3rd XV 38pts league D/W3 S Ellingham Ringwood 2nd XV 17pts Swanage Wareham 4th XV 15pts League D/W4 GAMES NEXT WEEK 29th OCTOBER Swanage Wareham 1st XV v Salisbury League SW1 East Away 3 00 p m Swanage Wareham 2nd XV v Weymouth 1st XV League D/W1 S Away 3 00 p m This is a top of the table clash as both sides are unbeaten in the league Swanage Wareham 3rd XV v South Wilts League D/W3 S Away 3 00 p m Swanage Wareham 4th XV v Wimborne 3rd XV League D/W 4 Home 3 00 p m NOTICE ndash CLUB ANNUAL DINNER Last chance to order your tickets to the dinner, to hear Mike Teague reminiscing on his years with the Lions Only a few tickets left Contact Steve Orchard on 01929 554016 or mobile 07850982871 to secure your place Ron Butler Publicity Secretary Telephone 01929 550273, e-mail ron@loxia fsnet co uk Purbeck Gazette Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=792 Purbeck Man, Nick Eastcott, Wins UK Stage Of Vodaphone Graham Maher Award! Many assisted us last week by taking the time to vote for Purbeck man, Nick Eastcott, in the Vodaphone Graham Maher Awards Nick was competing with two other UK finalists to go forward to theinternational stage of the competition to win funding for a charity project Nick was fronting his project 'Afrikids' We are delighted to announce that Nick Eastcott won the public vote stage in the UK, beating the two other finalists to the next international stage So, a massive thank-you to everyone who took the time to vote for Nick! From the Vodaphone World of Difference UK Wall on Facebook: quotWe have great pleasure to announce the UK finalist for the Grahame Maher Awards going forward to the next round of judging is Nick Eastcott for Afrikids! The three finalists going to Qatar for the Grand Final will be announced on Tuesday 25th October quot Alison Eastcott, Nick's wife, said: quotMy thanks to everyone: You will see from the above that YOU have done it and put Afrikds and Nick up there at a global level Nick is now looking green! Competing internationally against 19 other national winners will be frightening but the judging will be done by professionals so we have confidence the outcome will be one that we can all be happy with Thank you ALL for creating this amazing opportunity for Afrikids and Nick We don't know the figures yet but we have been told they were very,very close so every vote has been important We wish both Lucy Buck and Lucy Caslon well with their own inspiring projects quot Purbeck Gazette Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=789 Corfe Castle Incident - Witness Appeal Between the hours of 2330hrs on Monday 17th and 0100hrs on Tuesday 18th October 2011 an incident occurred in East Street, Corfe Castle near to The Dollings A local 20 year old male left the British Legion in East Street to make his way home, having competed in a Darts match As the victim was walking home, he was knocked to the ground from behind by two unknown offenders and his wallet removed The victim received injuries to his chest and was taken to hospital for treatment and later discharged He describes the offenders as one having shoulder length hair and the other with a foreign accent A vehicle with a loud sounding exhaust was heard to leave the area at about the time of the incident Dorset Police are appealing for any witnesses or for anyone with any information to come forward You can either contact DC Frizzle at Weymouth CID on telephone 101 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 500 111 Purbeck Gazette Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=790 Purbeck Road Safety Operation Targets Bad Driving Police in Purbeck ran an operation to target poor driving and highlight road safety earlier this month, with drivers issued with words of advice and fixed penalty notices The operation took place on Saturday, 15 October 2011, and saw a total of 106 drivers stopped Of these, 35 drivers were issued with fixed penalty tickets for offences including speeding and not wearing a seat belt All drivers stopped were issued with strong words of advice about their driving The operation took place following community concerns, raised through PACT Partners and Communities Together , about unsafe driving in the area and involved members of the Special Constabulary, Purbeck safer neighbourhood officers and traffic patrol officers Purbeck police sergeant, Jonathan Wasey, said: ldquoWe listen and respond to the concerns of our communities and are committed to taking positive action in response to dangerous and irresponsible drivers ldquoWe will continue to focus on road safety and work together with our partners and communities to make Purbeck roads even safer ldquoIrsquod also urge drivers to ensure their vehicles are in good working order as the mornings and nights become darker and colder Drivers should particularly check that electrical components, such as lights, are in good order rdquo Purbeck Gazette Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=788 The Osiligi Maasai Warriors are coming to Dorset! The Osiligi Maasai are a group of traditional performers from Kenya who regularly visit the UK in an effort to raise funds for their families and for improvement of their village back home The Warriors have toured the world and welcome enquiries from all countries tel Jim Wilkie 44 775 360 6886 There is a UK charity that has been set-up to help improve the quality of life in the warriors' community Who are the troupe The Osiligi Warriors were founded by their chairman Tajeu Minnisa Richard in 2007 The purpose of the troupe is to benefit their community and the families in their village of Kisamis, situated approximately 30 miles southwest of Nairobi Money is raised by a series of UK tours during which the troupe will perform their tribal song and dance and spread the word about their culture Where were the previous tours To date, the troupe have toured every year since 2007 Performances have been in schools, theatres and churches Their first tour was based in Edinburgh and was so successful, they returned to Scotland then moved down to Devon and Cornwall where they were equally well-received Amongst many prestigious engagements, they performed at the second Commonwealth Sports Development Conference attended by representatives from all over the Commonwealth and the Scottish First Minister together with members of the Scottish Parliament They were also invited to perform at the Eden Project in Cornwall and the Dartmoor Zoological Park Last year they returned to the West Country, enjoying their longest and most successful tour Each tour invokes great media attention The following links are from their recent tours: - BBC Cornwall - Bude School - Blog following the Dartmoor zoo show As a direct result of the tours, it has been possible to find sponsors for the children of their community who previously could not afford to attend school For more information on the charity projects click here Biographies In introducing the members of the troupe, it is important to stress that each and every one of them is humble, affectionate and kind Indeed those of us involved in this tour love them all and feel privileged to be helping them Without doubt they will leave a lasting impression on all who meet them Dates near you! Book now while spaces remain! 4th November, Blandford Parish Church, 7:30pm Call 01258 456260 to book 5th November, Swanage Parish Church, 7:30pm Call 01924 21117 to book Find more information about the Osiligi at: www osiligiwarriors co uk Purbeck Gazette Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=787 Local Charity Coupe Need Your Votes NOW! Local couple Nick and Alison Eastcott, of Swanage, are asking for your help Nick, having worked in the charity sector before with great success, has been nominated to work on a new and innovative project in Ghana If this project gets the go-ahead, hundreds of people will be helped However, Nick and Alison need your help to get the project off the ground by voting for Nick for the Vodaphone Graham Maher Award, for which he has been nominated He has some stiff competition although is now one the the three finalists Votes can only be accepted online Please read Alison's short article below for further details: From hundreds of good people who have won the quotWorld of Differencequot annual awards, Nick my husband - famously described by Afrikids founder Georgie as quotNeither young nor pretty so we need all the help we can getquot! has come through a rigorous selection process to be one of the 3 UK finalists in the one-off Vodaphone Graham Maher award of pound100,000 to continue and to spread the model of NHS/local NGO/local NHS partnership he developed with Afrikids during his quotWorld of Differencequot year He is up against the two young, beautiful and media-savvy 'Lucys', who are both doing worthwhile things and have made excellent video appeals, so Nick and Afrikids need all our friends and their friends to mobilise all the support and votes you can So why vote for Nick Well, regardless of the result, Nick and I are thrilled to be going back out to Bolga in Northern Ghana to work for an extended period again next year We wouldn't be doing this if we didn't honestly believe that Afrikids record of being deeply rooted in and driven by the local community, for operating on the principles of total and detailed accountability and for making every project a sustainable one IS exceptional amongst NGOs The on-going, wide-spread and long-term impacts of the sharing of medical experience and knowledge of the Southampton Hospital professional volunteers through the GAS project which Nick piloted last year needs to be developed and supported to sustainability It fit so well with the Afrikids model and I believe it is amongst the finest examples of how to make a difference for generations to come in Africa and needs to be shared with other NHS links It is certainly what the people of northern Ghana and their tiny but dedicated group of medics just 7 doctors for 1 million people are asking for and something the 30+ medical professionals who worked with them last year want to continue doing and to improve upon SO PLEASE click here to vote : VOTE FOR NICK - VOTING IS NOW CLOSED If you want to learn more about Afrikids do go to their website www afrikids org and you will see more about the GAS Ghana Health Services/Afrikids/Southampton University Hospital Trust partnership and their other 17 major projects which includes work in education if you want to join me! Purbeck Gazette Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=786 Tractor Thefts From East Dorset Farms - APPEAL Police in East Dorset are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information to come forward after the theft of a tractor near Corfe Mullen ndash with offenders attempting to steal a further tractor and leaving empty handed Sometime overnight between Tuesday, 11 October and Wednesday, 12 October 2011, offenders stole a Massey Ferguson tractor from Lake Farm on Willett Road, near Lambrsquos Green It is believed that the thieves drove this tractor to the neighbouring farm, Ashington Farm on Ashington Lane, and attempted to steal a second Massey Ferguson tractor This attempt was unsuccessful and both vehicles were left at the farm Police Constable Steve Knight said: ldquoItrsquos believed that while attempting to steal the second tractor that those responsible caused the vehiclesrsquo batteries to go flat It would then not have been possible to move the tractors ldquoI would like to hear from anyone who witnessed any unusual or suspicious activity in or around these two farms ldquoThe offenders probably made their way to and from the farms in another vehicle, possibly a flatbed lorry ldquoAnyone with any information about those responsible should contact Dorset Police ndash in confidence ndash urgently rdquo Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police in confidence on 101 quoting incident number 12:102 Alternatively, call the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111 where mobile phone tariffs may apply Purbeck Gazette Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=785 DCC to continue to fund school crossing patrols Dorset County Councilrsquos Cabinet yesterday Wednesday 5 October 2011 agreed to continue to fund 51 of its 61 school crossing patrol sites Funding will be withdrawn from 1 April 2012 from 10 sites, five of which do not meet the nationally agreed criteria and five of which operate on an existing pedestrian crossing The 10 sites for which funding will be withdrawn by the county council from 1 April 2012 are: 1 High Street outside school , Wool non-criteria ndash Wool CE VA First 2 Quibo Lane rear of the school , Weymouth non-criteria ndash Conifers Primary 3 Wincombe Lane outside school , Shaftesbury non-criteria ndash Shaftesbury Primary 4 Chewton Common rear of the school , Highcliffe non-criteria ndash Highcliffe St Mark Primary 5 Greenways outside school , Highcliffe non-criteria ndash Highcliffe St Mark Primary 6 East Street, Corfe Castle zebra crossing ndash Corfe Castle CE VC First 7 Outside school, Bere Regis zebra crossing ndash Bere Regis First 8 Outside school entrance A35 , Winterbourne Abbas traffic signal ndash Winterbourne Abbas First 9 Sopers Lane, Christchurch zebra crossing ndash Twynham Secondary 10 Sandford Road outside the school , Sandford traffic signal ndash Sandford Middle Local communities will be offered the opportunity to identify alternative funding, possibly using sponsorship arrangements, to continue to provide a crossing patrol at these 10 sites under the county councilrsquos management Members of the Cabinet considered the findings of a cross-party policy development panel set up to discuss the options for alternative funding of the service by local communities The council had proposed to withdraw funding for all 61 sites in order to achieve savings of pound200,000, part of plans to save pound54 9m over three years The Cabinet yesterday agreed to all of the panelrsquo s recommendations, which were: 1 That the county council continues to implement the nationally agreed criteria for the establishment and retention of authorised school crossing patrol sites and that this becomes its formal policy 2 That as a consequence of adopting this policy, funding be withdrawn from 1 April 2012 for all five non-criteria school crossing patrol sites and for this policy to apply to any sites in the future where the national criteria is no longer met 3 That funding be withdrawn from 1 April 2012 for all five school crossing patrol sites that operate at formal signal controlled pedestrian crossing facilities or zebra crossings and that this policy applies to any sites in future where a school crossing patrol is replaced by a signal controlled or zebra crossing 4 That the development of sponsorship arrangements be utilised where possible with local communities, which would enable school crossing patrols to continue in those areas where the criteria were not met or where the site operates on the highway at a signal controlled or zebra crossing 5 And that school crossing patrol staff be offered redeployment from non-criteria sites to vacant criteria sites where appropriate Peter Finney, Dorset County Council Cabinet member for highways and transport, said: quotThis decision was the culmination of several months' hard work by a cross-party policy development panel set up to look at the school crossing patrols issue Unfortunately, no community was able to help us with additional funding for the service However, we have listened to what people had to say, and have agreed to retain all 51 school crossing patrols on sites which meet the national criteria But in the current financial climate, we can no longer afford to continue funding the service at those sites which do not meet the criteria or which have pedestrian crossing facilities quot Purbeck Gazette Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=784 Witness Appeal After Robbery In Wareham Detectives are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information to come forward after a man was robbed in Wareham The incident, in which two unknown offenders assaulted a man and stole money and a mobile phone, happened along a footpath leading from Northmoor to the train station at around 3am on Tuesday, 4 October 2011 The 38-year-old victim, from Poole, was not injured Detective Constable Charlie Soutine said: ldquoThe victim was walking toward the train station along the wooded footpath ldquoThe victim was punched to the face and threatened with a knife but did not sustain any injuries rdquo Both offenders are of dark European appearance ndash possibly Romanian ndash aged between 26 and 27 and around five feet seven inches tall One of the men is of average build and has a long narrow jaw line He was wearing a light grey hooded top with the hood up The second offender is of a muscular stocky build He has short cropped dark hair and a thin styled beard, similar to a goatee He was wearing a black ski style jacket The two offenders were seen together with two other men who were not involved in the incident DC Soutine continued: ldquoI am appealing for anyone who witnessed this robbery and anyone who has any information about those responsible to contact me urgently rdquo Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police in confidence on 101 quoting incident number 4:48 Alternatively, call the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111 where mobile phone tariffs may apply Purbeck Gazette Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=783 Childrenrsquos Half Term fun at Purbeck Sports Centre Purbeck Sports Centre is hosting a huge range of activities to thrill the children this Autumn Half Term From Monday 24 to Friday 28 October, there will be a feast of activities on offer, including intensive swimming lessons, junior lifesaving skills in the pool, cycle safety, football and trampolining camps, climbing, table tennis and gymnastics Two to 6 year-olds can have great fun in Gym Tots when theyrsquoll enjoy basic gymnastics in a happy and fun atmosphere Those who are 6 years and over will love gymnastics and trampolining in the combined Vault and Bounce sessions The OFSTED-registered Kool 4 Kidz Club returns Children aged between 5 and 12 can enjoy half and full-days of activities and sports, including swimming, team challenges, arts and crafts and action-packed sports Michelle Goodman, Operations Manager, says: ldquoWith our summer holiday activities being such a hit this year, wersquore really looking forward to another week of fun this autumn rdquo Visit the website at www dorsetforyou com/purbecksportscentre or call 01929 500 000 to find out more Purbeck Gazette Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=782 Council receives notice of wind farm appeal Purbeck District Council has received notification of an appeal against its decision to refuse permission for a wind farm The appeal relates to an application for four wind turbines on land at Masters Pit, Puddletown Road, East Stoke, near Wareham Purbeck Wind Farm LLP has lodged the appeal with the governmentrsquos Planning Inspectorate The Planning Inspectorate is now checking the appeal is valid before setting out what will happen next and when When the start date of the appeal process is announced, Purbeck District Council will write to any person who it notified or consulted about the original planning application The Council will also send all comments it received as part of the planning application process to the Planning Inspectorate Members of the public should send further comments directly to the Planning Inspectorate, full details of which will be confirmed when the appeal process and timetable is announced Councillor Peter Wharf, Chairman of the Councilrsquos Planning Board, said: ldquoIn March 2011, members of Purbeck District Councilrsquos Planning Board refused permission for the four wind turbines This followed consideration of a number of planning conditions designed to mitigate some of the effects of the development The Council will now be preparing its case accordingly rdquo As part of the process of preparing the conditions, the local community and interested groups were invited to submit suggestions on how adverse impacts could be mitigated Planning Board members considered that the conditions could not satisfactorily mitigate the impacts of the development and planning permission was refused Full details can be found at www dorsetforyou com/planning/purbeckwindfarmappeal Purbeck Gazette Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=779 Should tourists contribute to improving transport infrastructure in Purbeck Purbeck District Council is exploring whether tourists should provide a contribution to improvements to transport infrastructure in Purbeck and would value input from those working in the local tourism industry at a workshop on Wednesday 12 October 2011 to be held at Morden Village Hall Currently only new development, e g houses, is required to contribute to transport infrastructure, but the Council is considering expanding the policy to generate income from tourists who visit Purbeck by car and add pressure to the road network A number of options have been suggested: - Congestion charging - A levy on tourism accommodation - A levy on car parking - A levy on tourist attractions, and - Voluntary contributions This is not a full consultation but a workshop to get feedback from representatives from the tourism sector as to whether these preliminary proposals could work in practice If you are the appropriate person in your organisation to attend please pass this invitation on AGENDA 10 30am Meet and greet with tea/coffee 11 00am Presentation by Steve Dring, Planning Policy Manager, Purbeck District Council 11 30am Workshop to discuss the proposals 12 30pm Feedback 1 00pm Close Please book your place, preferably by email, by 7 October 2011 Contact 01929 557303 or email: suebellamy@purbeck-dc gov uk Purbeck Gazette Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=780 SWANAGE WAREHAM RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB LTD Reports for 1st October 2011 Swans pick up a draw away at Witney WITNEY 21pts SWANAGE WAREHAM 21pts Swans travelled into the Prime Ministerrsquos constituency at Witney for their fifth league game of the season It was a draw here last season, 20 pts each As usual Swans gave away a penalty in the first minute, but fortunately Witneyrsquos fly half missed with his attempt Five minutes into the game Swans lost prop forward Ollie Andrews with a serious head wound which required hospital treatment, being replaced by Nick Audley Swans put a penalty down to the corner and from the catch/drive move Swans forced their way over the try line, with replacement prop forward Nick Audley claiming the touchdown 0 ndash5 Witney missed with a second penalty, and from the 22m restart Swans worked their down the field, the ball was worked to winger Jonnie Blackmore who outpaced the defence to score under the posts Charlie Rowberry added the extras 0 ndash 12 Witney came back into the game with a try by scrum half Gareth Campbell and a third penalty goal on the half hour mark 8 ndash 12 Charlie Rowberry added a penalty goal just before the break as Swans went into the interval 8 ndash 15 up From the restart Witney seemed to have upped their game as within eight minutes they had taken the lead with a penalty and a try 16 ndash 15 , but another penalty by Charlie Rowberry restored Swans advantage at 16 ndash 18 Just after the hour mark Witney scored another try to lead 21 ndash 18 and for the next ten minutes Swans pounded the Witney defence but could not cross the try line With the last play of the game Swans were pressing the Witney try line again, close under the posts when the referee awarded Swans a penalty kick Jonnie Blackmore took the kick in place of the injured Charlie Rowberry, and fortunately for Swans he landed the conversion to give Swans the draw, each side picking up two league points, moving Swans up to ninth in the table Swans team:-P Dunsford, J Blackmore, G Alner, D Wilcox, C Rowberry J Harris, C Tomes, J Sheldrake R Elford, O Andrews N Audley 5 , J Burgess, D Collins, J Warren J Desmond 67 A Jones M Roberts 72 J Maginn OTHER GAME Chippenham 2nd XV 24pts Swanage Wareham 2nd XV 29pts in the Dorset/Wilts second team Cup competition GAMES NEXT WEEK 8th October Swanage Wareham 1st XV v Olney league SW1 East Home 3 00 p m Swanage Wareham 2nd XV v Salisbury 2nd XV league D/W1 Home 3 00 p m Swanage Wareham 3rd XV v Verwood league D/W3 S Away 3 00 p m Swanage Wareham 4th XV v Weymouth 3rd XV league D/W 4 Home 3 00 p m Ron Butler Publicity Secretary Purbeck Gazette Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=781 Sleep like an Egyptian - Museum Sleepover 2011 -Saturday 22 October Dorset County Museum is about to host its fifth lsquoNight at the Museumrsquo Sleepover This year it has an exciting Egyptian theme to tie in with the Museumrsquos brand new blockbuster exhibition Pharaoh: King of Egypt The sleepover is aimed at children between 7 and 13 and tickets are selling fast Activities on the night will include drama, arts and crafts and storytelling Each child must be accompanied by an adult parent or carer, but each adult can bring up to three children Registration begins at 6pm, then itrsquos time to explore and find a good place to sleep - some galleries are kept quieter for younger children while others are suitable for larger groups The first activity starts at 7pm prompt ndash and donrsquot forget to bring a feast to eat later in the evening! Other essential items are a roll mat, warm sleeping bag and a torch Free tea, coffee and soft drinks will be served all evening, and breakfast for everyone will be provided on Sunday morning before the final activity Why not buy a ticket and help make this the most successful sleepover ever Tickets cost just pound12 50 for children and pound10 00 for adults and are available from the Museum shop now Just pop in or ring 01305 756827 Even if the sleepover is not for you, make time to visit the new exhibition after it opens on 15 October ndash what you will see there is the largest UK loan of Egyptian artefacts ever made by the British Museum and many of the objects have never before been seen outside London The Museumrsquos famous Victorian Hall has been completely made-over in order to fit everything in ndash donrsquot miss it! To contact Dorset County Museum please Tel: 01305 262735 Dorset County Museum is supported by Dorset County Council Dorset County Museum High West Street Dorchester Dorset DT1 1XA Tel: 01305 262735 www dorsetcountymuseum org Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society Company registered in England No 3362107 Registered Charity No 1062400 Picture shows: Tomb Guardian pic 854 Wooden tomb guardian figure of Ramses I, 1195 ndash 1294 BC From the Valley of the Kings : copy Courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum Purbeck Gazette Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=776 Dorchester Arts Centre October Music October brings a feast of great local music to Dorchester Arts Centre Beginning on Saturday 1st October Yeovil-based band Design play a mix of spiky, melodic, indie pop songs along with Somerset folk band Spidereen at 8pm Tickets pound6 / pound5 concessions Earlier on Saturday 1st October musicians of all abilities are invited to bring their drums or percussion instruments and take part in an improvised musical journey with Magic Drum from 2 30 - 4 30 pm Tickets pound5 adults / pound4 under 16's Then on Saturday 8th October The Baddest Blues Band return for another exhilarating mix of blues classics and originals, featuring sassy vocals from Zoe Schwarz along with legendary guitarist Rob Koral plus the full band - 8pm Tickets pound10 / pound8 concessions Friday 7th October the Arts centre welcomes upcoming Welsh music sensation Paper Aeroplanes - comprising Sarah Howells and Richard LLewellyn - well known to Welsh audiences and of whom Robin Denselow of BBC Music said quotWith songs this good Paper Aeroplane deserve a far wider audiencequot On Sunday 9th October, as part of our regular 'Sunday Sessions', Bag of Rats, known for their wild and electric energy, play at the Arts Centre at 8pm with a bar open all evening from 7 15pm Tickets pound5 And coming soon: Saturday 22 October - Geoff Achison the UK Souldiggers Bluesinghts Saturday 29 October - Keith James: The Songs of Leonard Cohen Friday 4 November - Transglobal Underground Friday 11 November - Jon LLoyd Quintet Jazz Sunday 13 November - y'Strels Band Folk music Saturday 19 November - Marcus Bonfanti Bluesnights For details of all events at Dorchester Arts Centre visit: www dorchesterarts org uk Tickets from Box Office 01305 266926 or online at: www wegottickets com or from Dorchester's Tourist Information Centre Purbeck Gazette Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=777 September 29, 2011 Letter to Editor ndash My parent's warning Dear Sir/Madam, Almost a year ago we lost our three month old son Charlie to meningitis He was our happy, cheeky little boy and he was cruelly taken from us by this terrible disease Within 24 hours he went from simply having a temperature to being in intensive care Six days later we had no choice but to turn his life support off and he died in our arms Charlie didnrsquot have a rash his symptoms started as any other virus would By the time he was diagnosed it was too late for him Coping with the death of a child is something no parent should ever go through, the last year has been incredibly hard for us I now work with the Meningitis Trust, to help raise awareness of this horrific disease, and the Trust has launched a free Android symptoms mobile app and from one Mother to another, I urge every parent to download this app they also have one for iPhones I donrsquot want anyone else to go through what we have We are now in the peak season for bacterial meningitis the deadly kind , please donrsquot assume you know the signs, read them and read them again There is no typical order that the symptoms can appear in and not every child will have all of them Every case is different making it so difficult to diagnose A quick diagnosis is essential to treating meningitis and downloading this app could save a life I wish this app had been available to me but Irsquom grateful it is now available to you You can download the app straight to your phone from www meningitisapp com, please do it today Yours faithfully, Katy Mann Charliersquos Mum Supporter of the Meningitis Trust Purbeck Gazette Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=778 Government cash helps county council respond to pothole problems Dorset County Council has been using an extra pound2 75m from the Government to resurface streets blighted by potholes and other damage following two freezing cold winters In April, the county council received its share of a national fund to combat Britainrsquos pothole epidemic following freezing weather which caused some roads to deteriorate very rapidly Dorset Highways, the county councilrsquos roads and transport service, has been out in force using this extra cash to repair winter damage to streets and roads across Dorset Streets in numerous towns and villages have been repaired as part of this ongoing programme, with a total of 20km 12 4 miles of road resurfaced to date approximately 123,000 square metres of coverage and a further 11km 6 8 miles of road still to be done In addition to these extra funds, the county council itself has also invested especially in tackling clusters of potholes and other de fects on lower category roads with more long-lasting resurfacing rather than simply patching up holes Cabinet member for transport Peter Finney said: ldquoThis national funding has provided us with a unique opportunity to deal with these road faults in one go Rather than merely patching potholes, which could recur again next winter, the county council is taking a more long-lasting approach by resurfacing areas where there are clusters of defects ldquoWe realise the work may cause short-term disruption but I am confident residents will appreciate the long-term advantage it will bring rdquo The roads resurfaced so far are as follows: bull North Road, Sherborne bull Kings Road, Sherborne bull Wootton Grove, Sherborne bull Simons Road, Sherborne bull The Avenue, Sherborne bull Hound Street, Sherborne bull Ludbourne Road, Sherborne bull B3070 West Lulworth bull A37 Grimstone bull Randalls Hill, Lytchett Minster bull B3075 Quarr Hil l, Morden bull Cowleaze Road, Broadmayne bull Avenue Road, West Moors bull Wimborne Road, Corfe Mullen bull Hawkesdene Lane, Shaftesbury bull Bimport, Shaftesbury bull Bleke Street/New Road, Shaftesbury bull Coppice Street, Shaftesbury bull Long Lane/Sandquarry Lane, Bourton bull The Grange, Furzehill, Wimborne bull Hardy Avenue, Weymouth bull Skilling Hill Road, Bridport bull B3078 Horton Inn to Cranborne Road bull Damers Road, Dorchester bull Baynards Road, Dorchester bull Cambridge Road, Dorchester bull Blagdon Road, Dorchester bull Queens Avenue, Dorchester bull Clarence Road, Dorchester bull Monmouth Road, Dorchester bull Culliford Road South, Dorchester bull Rothesay Road, Dorchester bull Ackerman Road, Dorchester bull Linden Avenue, Dorchester bull Mellstock Avenue, Dorchester bull Egdon Road, Dorchester bull North Square, Dorchester bull Orchard Street, Dorchester bull Oborne Road, Sherborne bull Hardings Lan e, Gillingham bull Wareham Road, Lytchett Matravers bull Cranborne Village bull Langton Long, Blandford bull Road from Lower Lewell Farm near West Stafford to Crossways bull West Stafford, under the railway bridge bull Martinstown to Monkeys Jump roundabout bull Winfrith Newburgh village bull Sandy Lane, Colehill, Wimborne bull Lecher Lane, South Perrott bull Thornford Road, Yetminster bull Dudsbury Crescent, Ferndown bull Cherry Orchard Lane, Gillingham bull The Glebe, Iwerne Minster bull B3143 Buckland Newton bull Camesworth Lane, Oxbridge bull B3157 Abbotsbury In addition, resurfacing of the following roads is either in progress or still to be done: bull St Johns Hill, Wimborne bull A354 Fortuneswell, Portland bull Sweethill Lane, Portland bull Sweethill Road, Portland bull Nottington Lane, Weymouth bull Greenhill, Weymouth bull B3143 Piddle Valley bull A30 Sherborne Causeway bull B3081 Sixpenny Handley C2 Larmer Tree bull Sackmore Lane, Marnhull You can report a pothole or other problem on a road, street or pavement by calling Dorset Highways on 01305 221020 or going to http://www dorsetforyou com/reportroadproblems Purbeck Gazette Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=773 APPEAL AFTER CRIMINAL DAMAGE IN WAREHAM - SWORD FROM STONE STOLEN Police in Wareham are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information to come forward after criminal damage to a roundabout in the town The incident, in which unknown offenders caused damage to the roundabout at the top of North Street, happened sometime during the night from Saturday, 24 September 2011 to Sunday, 25 September 2011 Police Constable Moira Connolly, of Wareham police, said: ldquoThe amount of debris on the road was extensive ldquoIt appears offenders have flung large quantities of gravel and slate from the roundabout The slate and gravel was scattered across the road ldquoAlso, the four foot high sword was cut from the stone ldquoDuring 2011 the roundabout was the centre piece of the Wareham in Bloom competition ldquoThe focal point was a pile of Purbeck stone boulders with a large steel sword stuck in the top stone The sword was a replica of one found in the river nearby during an archaeological dig ldquoMany local companies and community representatives were involved in a project to completely makeover the roundabout and it was sponsored by local businesses rdquo The sword is about four feet high and in the style of a Viking broadsword It was specially made for the site and is very identifiable It was concreted and bolted in PC Connolly added: ldquoThis was a malicious act, targeted toward a community project in a town very proud to have reached the finals of the national in Bloom competition It was committed on the very day the results were due ldquoAs the local Safer Neighbourhood officer I am disgusted and very upset for all the people who supported this community project ldquoI am appealing for anyone who witnessed this offence, and anyone who has information about those responsible, to contact me urgently rdquo Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police in confidence on 101 quoting incident number 25:196 Alternatively, call the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111 where mobile phone tariffs may apply Purbeck Gazette Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=775 PICTURE APPEAL ndash SEARCH FOR WEYMOUTH MAN CONTINUES Officers in Weymouth searching for a missing vulnerable 55-year-old man are renewing their appeal for information regarding his whereabouts ndash with a picture of the man being released Nicholas Stephen Crocker from Weymouth, was reported missing just after 9am on Wednesday, 21 September 2011, and was last seen at 6 30am that morning Nicholas is white, between five feet seven inches and five feet eight inches tall and of a stocky build He has receding white or grey hair, white stubble, a tattoo of antlers on the back of one hand and on one forearm When he was last seen, he was wearing green camouflage trousers and T-Shirt, a navy blue fleece and black boots Superintendent Mike Rogers said: ldquoWe are continuing our search for Nicholas Dorset Police officers in conjunction with volunteers from Dorset Search and Rescue DorSAR are still searching the local area trying to locate him ldquoAs this behaviour is completely out of character for Nicholas we are very concerned for his safety ldquoNicholas is a licensed firearms holder and our enquiries suggest that a pistol is outstanding It is possible that Nicholas is in possession of this firearm, which he is licensed to own ldquoI would like to reiterate that while there is absolutely no suggestion of any risk to members of the public, we would still ask that Nicholas is not approached Any sightings of a man fitting his description should be reported to Dorset Police urgently ldquoIt is essential that we find Nicholas so that we can make sure that he is safe and well ndash anyone with information regarding his whereabouts should call us as soon as possible rdquo Anyone with any information or knowledge as to Nicholasrsquo whereabouts should call Dorset Police on 101, quoting incident number 22:588 Purbeck Gazette Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=774 APPEAL AFTER SUSPICIOUS INCIDENTS IN PURBECK Police in Purbeck are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information to come forward after reports that a man had approached children in the Swanage and Wareham areas Between Monday, 19 and Thursday, 22 September 2011, four incidents have been reported along Worgret Road in Wareham and the High Street, Gilbert Road and Gordon Road in Swanage Dorset Police is investigating, with the assistance of local schools and partner agencies The descriptions of the man differ greatly and, while officers are keeping an open mind, it is not known whether the incidents are linked One witness has described the man as white, aged in his thirties and with short dark hair Another has described a white man aged in his fifties or sixties, with a long beard, bad teeth and yellow fingers A further description is of a white man, aged in his forties or fifties, with medium-length dark hair and a beard Inspector Mike Darby, of Dorset Police, said: ldquoWe are treating these reports extremely seriously, as it is not yet known what the motives of the man or men may have been ldquoI would actively encourage anyone who has any information regarding these incidents, and anyone who notices any suspicious activity, to contact us ldquoMembers of the public should always call 999 if someone is in danger or a crime is in progress rdquo Dorset Police has stepped up patrols in the Swanage and Wareham areas Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police in confidence on 101 or the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111 where mobile phone tariffs may apply Purbeck Gazette Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=772 Dorset Road Safe, 'no excuse' statistics up until the end of August 2011 In the second year of the 'no excuse' project, the team have processed 9,545 bad or careless driving offences from 17 January 2011 to 31 August 2011 Of these, a total of 5,962 offences were for Officer Issued Tickets OITs with the remainder having been detected by the safety camera team Encouragingly, there continues to be a downward trend in the total number of offences processed in comparison with the same period 17 January 2010 ndash 31 August 2010 last year while utilising approximately the same resources and locations It has been found that the total number of offences processed has decreased by 605 from 10,150 down to 9,545 ndash a 6% reduction More encouragingly, the percentage of those processed for not wearing seatbelts in the same period has decreased from 35% down to 23% 1,945 processed in 2010 compared with 1,344 in 2011 Further evidence from a survey completed by Dorset Road Safe partners from Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole councils at set locations on set dates showed that the percentage of drivers on Dorset roads wearing seatbelts increased from 93% of those observed in 2010 to 96% of those observed in 2011 Despite this welcome improvement in the past year we cannot become complacent as there have previously been collisions where unrestrained children have been thrown from the car and the restrained adult occupants have emerged unscathed whilst fellow passengers who chose not to wear a seat belt have suffered life changing injuries Unfortunately, the percentage of tickets processed this year by lsquono excusersquo for driving while using a mobile phone remains unchanged 15% with 931 drivers putting their lives, as well as other road users and pedestriansrsquo lives, at risk Police Officers are still amazed at the risk drivers are willing to take such as a further twenty motorists driving while not in proper control of their vehicle or with their vision obscured Additionally, a further twenty five drivers were processed for driving without valid insurance or MOT in July and August 2011 Dorset Police and its partners in Dorset Road Safe still maintain the drive to offer education options to dispose of traffic offences where possible rather than those caught facing fines and points or court appearances and the associated costs Those taking the education option see the benefits of the courses such as the Driver Awareness Scheme with many advocating that it should be a mandatory course for all drivers The recent Surround a Town operation based around Shaftesbury onWednesday 14 September detected 183 driving offences Public support was evident with a comment such as ldquoI donrsquot know who is in charge here but I just want to say this is excellent, it is great for public relations instead of beating us with a big stick ndash it really has made me thinkrdquo and a public survey carried out on the day showed 80% of those questioned recognised the lsquono excusersquo logo and the projectrsquos aims Of the 183 processed on the day, 52 of the 79 offenders caught not wearing seatbelts took the opportunity to attend a Seatbelt Awareness course which was free of charge on the day thus disposing of their pound60 offence and gaining some useful reminders of why seatbelts need to be worn Chief Inspector Bob Nichols said: lsquoThis year we are continuing to see a reduction in the number of people killed and injured on our roads, although the number of offences detected shows that there are still drivers prepared to put their own and other road usersrsquo lives at risk through dangerous, careless, or selfish behaviour However, I am confident that the majority of drivers attending our courses emerge as safer drivers with a better understanding of the simple changes they can make to reduce the risk of injury or death rsquo Purbeck Gazette Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=771 Swanage set to benefit from substantial investment in residential care services Plans for a total refurbishment of the former James Day Residential home in Swanage have been unveiled as a Dorset based private care company, Agincare, prepares to take on a long-term lease of the building This follows extensive work by a Joint Planning Group set up specially by the County Council for the purpose of exploring solutions for up to date care facilities for older people in the area This group included a wide range of organisations with an interest in its future, including the Save James Day Home Action Group, the Swanage Senior Forum, local councils, and the NHS The proposal from Agincare includes a staged refurbishment and re-development of the existing building to provide, in the first phase, higher level residential care for older people , including care for people with dementia This will be followed by a second phase to provide nursing care at the site The proposal also includes the development of a quotcommunity hubquot which will provide a base for Agincarersquos home care and meal delivery services, as well as other facilities to support the community Andrew Cattaway, cabinet member for adult social care at Dorset County Council, said: ldquoWe are very pleased that we now have a positive solution for residential care for people in Swanage that takes into account the growth of the older population and the shortage of existing care homes ldquoWe have been exploring both a short and long term commercial lease of the property, and after a comprehensive market testing exercise and careful consideration of the options, Agincare has been identified as our preferred provider ldquoWe welcome their proposal to take over the long-term lease of the building This will give a much needed boost of investment and provide modern care facilities and services to older people in Swanage and the surrounding area ldquoWe are now in the final stages of awarding the lease and, subject to contract, anticipate the building will be refurbished and ready for occupation by Spring 2012 rdquo Agincare's CEO, Raina Summerson said, ldquoAs a Dorset-based company, Agincare are proud to be working with DCC and the Swanage community on the agreed proposal Our team are very excited at this opportunity to utilise our significant resources and national experience to bring the James Day site 'back to life' and to create a range of local service provision to meet the current and future needs of the town quot Picture shows meeting at James Day, Swanage, earlier this week Members of Agincare, Dorset Counrty Council and the James Day Action Group were in attendance Purbeck Gazette Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=770 Concern For Missing Bournemouth Man Police in Bournemouth are becoming increasingly concerned for the welfare of a 55-year-old man who has been missing for the last four weeks ndash with a picture of the missing man being released Graham Lach, of West Cliff Road, was last seen by a friend on Sunday, 21 August 2011 Police Constable Kath MacHardy said: ldquoGraham has not been seen by family and friends for an entire month now and itrsquos essential that we check that he is safe and well ldquoHe may still be in the Bournemouth area, but he does have a daughter in Brighton, so itrsquos possible that he may have travelled in that direction ldquoIf anyone has seen Graham ndash or knows of his whereabouts ndash then please contact us urgently ldquoI would urge Graham to please call Dorset Police or his family ndash we simply want to ensure that he has not come to any harm rdquo Graham is white, five feet seven inches tall and of a slight build, with light reddish blonde hair and a moustache He may have been wearing blue jeans, a white, orange and red check shirt and a dark coloured light weight coat when he was last seen Anyone with any information or knowledge as to Grahamrsquos whereabouts should call Dorset Police on 101, quoting incident number 27:489 Purbeck Gazette Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=768 Apple Day Itrsquos time to rediscover apples this autumn, according to Dorset Wildlife Trust Apple Day at Broad Oak Community Orchard on 2nd October is a chance to celebrate a fruit that is being recognised as a delicious part of our culinary heritage and landscape The event, at DWTrsquos orchard reserve near Sturminster Newton, will showcase the taste of apples with an apple cake competition, cider from the reserversquos apples to buy as well as the chance to see how this traditional drink is made Joy Wallis, Community Conservation Officer at Dorset Wildlife Trust, said: ldquoApples are bound up with Dorsetrsquos life and landscape Orchards, once abundant in Dorset, are wonderful for wildlife and our orchards such as Broad Oak are keeping both tradition and wildlife going, and the fruit tastes great too! We will have many old English varieties of apple on the day and we encourage people to come and let our experts identify mystery apples from their garden rdquo Also at the Apple Day will be an apple peeling contest, singing from the Sturminster Young Stars choir and from storyteller Tim Laycock Bees are among the wildlife particularly associated with orchards and there will be information about bee keeping as well as everything you want to know about arguably the most versatile fruit in England Old orchards are so important for wildlife that they are now a priority habitat in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan Apple blossom feeds many flying insects and the open tree landscape is very good for bugs and beetles, some of which can only be found in rotting apple wood The Apple Day is on Sunday 2nd October from 1 30pm to 3 30pm at Broad Oak Community Orchard, New Road, Broad Oak, near Sturminster Newton, grid ref ST 791123 Free event suitable for the whole family Please use the free park and ride from Sturminster Newtonrsquos Station Road car park as parking at Broad Oak is very limited For more information, ring 01305 264620 Purbeck Gazette Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=769 Appeal to Trace Missing Man Neil Sweeney Thank you to the public for your help - Neil was found in Blackpool yesterday Officers are appealing for help to find a 45-year-old man who is missing from the Brockworth and Tewkesbury area Neil Sweeney was last in contact with friends on Tuesday September 20 and was reported missing at around 12 30am this morning Wednesday September 21 Neil doesnrsquot appear to currently have a permanent address, but is thought to have been staying with friends in the Brockworth and Tewkesbury area He is a white man, around 6ft 4inches tall, with black hair with silver coming through, he speaks with a Scottish accent and he wears an earring in his right ear He is thought to have been wearing a long leather coat and possibly navy jeans, he also is likely to be wearing a shirt Police are concerned for his welfare and are urging him to get in touch It is thought Neil Sweeney may have travelled out of the county as he has links all over the midlands and the north of England as well as in Scotland If you have seen him or have any information that could help please contact Gloucestershire Police on 101 quoting incident 3 of September 21 This press release was issued by Katy Roberts, Media and Communications Officer, Gloucestershire Constabulary 01452 754302 Purbeck Gazette Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=767 Concern For Missing Weymouth Man Police in Weymouth are becoming increasingly concerned for the welfare of a 66-year-old man who has been missing for the last two weeks ndash with a picture of the missing man being released Barry Millgate, of Penny Street, was last seen at his home address on Monday, 5 September 2011 He left in a grey Nissan Note ndash although it is believed that he may have returned this vehicle to a garage Police Constable Kath MacHardy said: ldquoBarry has not made contact with his partner for two weeks now and such behaviour is completely out of character ldquoNaturally, she is extremely worried that he has come to some harm rdquo Barry is white and six feet four inches tall, with brown eyes and receding hair that is white on the sides He was wearing beige trousers and a navy waterproof jacket when he was last seen PC MacHardy continued: ldquoIf anyone has seen Barry ndash or knows of his whereabouts ndash then please contact us urgently ldquoItrsquos possible that he is staying with friends in Exeter or another area within Devon or Cornwall ldquoMy message to Barry is to please contact either your family or Dorset Police as soon as possible We just want to check that you are safe and well ndash any calls from you will be treated in absolute confidence rdquo Anyone with any information or knowledge as to Barryrsquos whereabouts should call Dorset Police on 101, quoting incident number 5:481 Purbeck Gazette Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=765 The council agrees to extend public meetings on future of day services People in Bridport, Wareham and Shaftesbury will now have an early opportunity to discuss ideas for the future of day services in Dorset Additional public consultation meetings have been organised to complement the six already scheduled meetings across the county this autumn The public meetings have been arranged to give all interested parties in communities that may not attend day centres a chance to ask questions and put their views forward Andrew Cattaway, cabinet member for adult social care at Dorset County Council, said: ldquoI'm very pleased that we have been able to respond to peoplersquos requests and we have organised three additional meetings for stakeholders including Bridport, Thursday 20 October at Bridport United Church Hall, Shaftesbury , Monday 10th October at Shaftesbury Town Hall and Wareham, Monday 17th October at The Corn Exchange rdquo This is in addition to the meetings already taking place in each of the county councilrsquos borough or district council areas The meetings will be held early evenings, 7pm- 8 15pm, to give people who work an opportunity to attend If you are a service user, relative, carer, potential service user or other interested party, you can take part in the consultation either by attending one of the public meetings or by filling in a questionnaire, or by writing directly to the council More information and questionnaires are available at : www dorsetforyou com/dayservicesconsultation Mr Cattaway added: ldquoldquoWe want to ensure that we talk with as many clients, carers, staff and interested parties as possible, and incorporate their views, so that the future service meets requirements within the community and is appropriate to peoplersquos needs and wants ldquoThe council has already been in contact with service users, carers and staff directly affected by the proposed changes and encouraged them to take p art in the consultation So far over 50 meetings have taken place at day centres across the county ldquoThe consultation will continue until 24 October, and the information gathered from interested parties will influence the new service proposals, but I want to emphasise that this is only stage one of the consultation process ldquoOnce the initial survey is concluded and we have a preferred option, we will again be seeking the views of people directly affected by the proposed changes before any decisions are made rdquo Purbeck Gazette Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=766 101 NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER GOES LIVE IN DORSET The new 101 police non-emergency telephone number has gone live today, Monday, 19 September 2011 Members of the public in Dorset must now ring 101 to contact Dorset Police for non-urgent enquiries The new 101 number has replaced the previous non-emergency police number in Dorset of 01202 or 01305 222 222 This new non-emergency number has gone live across all of the police forces in the south west today ndash and the 101 number is due to be available in all police force areas of England and Wales by the end of January 2012 Chief Superintendent Colin Searle, Communications and Contact Services Commander, said: ldquoThe new 101 police non-emergency telephone number is easy to remember and will be live across the whole country early next year ldquoIt is important that the public in Dorset know that they must dial 101 to contact the police in Dorset for non-urgent business from now on ldquoThe public should call 101 to report crime, to contact their local Safer Neighbourhood Team, to provide us with information about crimes that have been committed or to make a general enquiry ldquoAs ever, people should always dial 999 in an emergency ndash when life is in danger or a crime is in progress rdquo Calls to the 101 non-emergency number ndash from both landlines and mobile phones ndash cost 15 pence per call no matter what time of day you call, or how long you are on the phone If a member of the public has a speech or hearing impairment, they can textphone 18001 101 from Monday, 19 September 2011 More details about the 101 non-emergency number can be found on the Dorset Police website, visit www dorset police uk In an emergency ndash when a crime is in progress or life is at risk ndash always dial 999 Purbeck Gazette Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=764 Witness Appeal After Four Fires In West Dorset Officers in Dorchester are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information to come forward after a large fire at Charminster near Dorchester and three further fires in the rural parts of the Dorchester and Sherborne area At around 7 30pm on Wednesday, 14 September 2011, Dorset Police received a report of a barn fire near Lower Burton, Dorchester A road closure was in place until almost 3pm today, Thursday, 15 September 2011, to enable Dorset Fire and Rescue Service to tackle the blaze An earlier incident involved a fire on a trailer of straw that occurred some time after 9am on Wednesday, 14 September in Wanchard Lane, Dorchester At about 9 20pm, also on Wednesday, police received a report of a third fire ndash this time involving two bales of hay at the South West Business Park in Sherborne In the early hours of today, Thursday, 15 September 2011, at around 3 30am officers received a report of a manure pile on fire at Cokers Farm, Frome Nobody was injured in any of the incidents Detective Inspector Stewart Dipple, of County CID, said: quotWe are working closely with fire investigators from Dorset Fire and Rescue to establish the cause of the fires, whether there is any evidence to suggest they were started deliberately and whether they are linked ldquoI would urge anyone who has any information regarding the fires, or witnessed any suspicious activity near to each of the incidents, to contact police urgently quot Inspector Les Fry, Neighbourhood Inspector for Dorchester and Sherborne, said: quotThe cost to the famers is significant and the inconvenience at the loss of machinery and winter feedstuffs considerable ldquoWith our operation Countryside we are coordinating our work to protect the rural community and work with people to make life considerably harder for criminals ldquoAnyone who is looking to improve their security should contact their local Safer Neighbourhood Team for advice rdquo Nobody has been arrested Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police in confidence on 01305 22 22 22 quoting incident number 14:408 Alternatively, call the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111 where mobile phone tariffs may apply Purbeck Gazette Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/news/info.aspx?f=763 Search Warrents Executed In Dorchester Police in Dorchester have arrested a woman after warrants were executed at three addresses in the town On Saturday, 10 September 2011, officers searched two addresses in the Victoria Park area after warrants were executed under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 A further warrant under the Theft Act was executed in Poundbury The local Safer Neighbourhood Teams and patrol officers seized a number of items, including substances believed to be illegal drugs A 41-year-old Dorchester woman was arrested on suspicion of intent to supply drugs She has been released on bail while police enquiries continue A 25-year-old Dorchester man also helped police with their enquiries Sergeant Steve Yeoman, of Dorchester Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: ldquoDorchester is a really safe place to live, but we are never complacent, as this weekendrsquos action should demonstrate ldquoDorset Police is committed to tackling the alleged supply of drugs and I hope that our actions send out a clear message that we will not tolerate this sort of activity rdquo Dorchester Safer Neighbourhood Team would like to hear from anyone who has information about suspected drug use in their community Inspector Les Fry, Neighbourhood Inspector for Dorchester and Sherborne, added: quotWe will take proactive action in relation to anyone allegedly involved in the selling or dealing of controlled substances The use of drugs causes immense personal cost and damage to lives which will not be tolerated ldquoIt is, as ever, essential that residents of Dorchester and the surrounding area continue to tell us about the issues in their communities ndash whether this relates to suspected drug offences, or other related criminal activity ldquoAnyone with any information is urged to come forward and talk to us in confidence ldquoWe will continue, with the help of our partners, to address local concerns and priorities rdquo Anyone with information should call Dorset Police in confidence on 01305 222 222 or the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111 where mobile phone tariffs may apply Purbeck Gazette Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT