Dorset

Personal trainer Mesha Moinirad shares his experiences of living with a stoma bag to inspire others.

Emiliano Sala died in a plane crash in January along with pilot David Ibbotson.

Dorset Council has been notified of fraudulent emails being circulated. Don’t put yourself at risk.

Fraudulent Council Tax Email

Residents are being warned to be on their guard for suspicious emails that aim to capture their personal details. Anyone who receives an email about a council tax refund which asks them to click a link and complete an online form should ignore it or delete it.

The email that has been recently flagged has gov.uk branding and gives you a short deadline to ‘claim your money’. By clicking the link in the email, it leads you to a web page where you are asked to input your banking information. Do not enter your information and put yourself at risk.

Top tips on how to protect yourself

• Don’t open attachments or click on the links within any unsolicited emails you receive
• Never respond to emails that ask for your personal or financial details.
• The web address may appear trustworthy, but remember you can hover over a link to see where it will really take you.
• An email address can appear legitimate, so even if the email appears to be from a person or a company you know of, if the message is unexpected or unusual then contact the sender directly via another method to confirm that they sent you the email.
• If you receive an email which asks you to login to an online account, for example due to suspicious activity on your account, instead of clicking on the link provided in the email, go directly to the website yourself.

The email mentioned has been reported, however we urge you to remain vigilant and be careful about who you share your personal information with.

If you have any concerns or feel you may have been affected visit actionfraud.police.uk

The post Watch out for Council Tax email scam appeared first on Dorset Council news.

Dorset Highways maintenance gangs are out across the county continuing to repair road damage.

Due to the large equipment used, the area of the road being worked on will be closed. Daytime road closures are 9am to 4pm and night work is usually from 7pm to 6am.

In July we will be repairing sections along the following roads:

B3159, Goulds Hill, near Martinstown
daytime closure 9am – 5pm, 24 June to 5 July (weekdays only)
two-way lights will be in use overnight 5pm to 9am

Alderholt Mill Bridge
daytime closure, 3 July to 7 July (bridge maintenance)

Station Road (northern end), Stalbridge
24-hour road closure, 1 July to 18 July

Milborne Wick Lane, Oborne
daytime closure, 5 July to 10 July

A35, East Road Roundabout, Bridport 
night closure, 15 & 16 July

A357, Durweston
road closure, 18 July & 19 July
(closure already in place for flood arch replacement)

Portland Beach Road, Ferry Bridge to Hamm Roundabout (on behalf of SSE)
two-way lights 9pm – 6am, 19 July to 23 July

Littlemoor Road, Weymouth
daytime closure between Dorchester Road & The Finches, 22 July to 25 July

Blandford Bridge (West Street)
two-way signals 22 July to 30 August (bridge maintenance)

A347 New Road, West Parley
night closure 9pm – 6am, 24 July to 26 July

Grosvenor Road, Dorchester
daytime closure 26 July to 30 July

A350, Steepleton Bends to Iwerne Minster
daytime closure 29 July to 13 August

Road closure for major works

The A357 will be closed at Durweston – between the village and the A350 – from 22 June until 21 July while the road and it’s flood arches are demolished and new culvert structures installed.

Works area

A diversion route will be signposted along the A350. Local drivers may choose to use an alternative route appropriate to their vehicle. Please do not use private roads in the area.

Signed diversion along ‘A’ roads

The post Dorset Road Fix – July sites appeared first on Dorset Council news.

Commuters describe services on South Western Railway as "shambolic" on day two of a five-day strike.

The T3 class locomotives hauled trains from London to Corfe Castle and Swanage in Dorset.

The centre will include three gallery spaces, a coffee shop and tourist information centre.

Two men were stabbed after being chased by a group of teenagers through Bournemouth town centre.

London commuters and racegoers at Royal Ascot are advised to check details of trains online.

BBC analysis found 45 parishes more than doubled their levy on the Band D council tax for 2019-20

In Dorset, we are very proud of our roadside verge maintenance and are committed to a healthy environment. During the summer months, our roadside verges and green spaces, like picnic areas, all start to grow very rapidly. We have a statutory duty to maintain the road network and above all, to make sure it is safe. So, how do we strike the balance between protecting road users and encouraging wildlife?

We know, from the many residents who tell us, that some people love the wild verges while some would prefer we cut them all back, so they are neat and tidy.

Cowslips on roadside verge

Where we can, we allow rural roadside grasses and wildflowers to grow long and wild, which attracts ‘pollinators’ like bees and butterflies and encourages wild flowers to flourish. There is obviously a cost saving to this method too.

Urban roads usually receive around six or seven cuts per year. In some places where we have the right machinery we are cutting and collecting the grass. This allows us to cut the verge less frequently than usual and by removing the clippings, we leave the verge neat and tidy. This helps extend the time between cuts and helps wildflowers to thrive.

Cllr Ray Bryan, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and the Environment explains more:

“Our primary duty with regards to roadside verges is one of safety, which we take very seriously. But, we, like many residents can see the benefit of letting the verges grow, where possible. Through our Pollinator Action Plan, we want to actively encourage more bees, butterflies and moths to thrive in Dorset. Our Action Plan also enables us to make significant savings – we save around £93k a year by only cutting rural road verges when needed.

“We also no longer use topsoil when creating new road verges, as the subsoil results in wildflower rich grass which is of greater use to pollinators and costs less to manage. On the Weymouth Relief Road, for example, this method resulted in savings of £2,200 per year in management costs.

Read more about our Pollinator Action Plan.

The post Our roadside verges – a fine balance to strike appeared first on Dorset Council news.

Simon Harmer claims match figures of 12-61 as Essex crush Hampshire by an innings inside two days at Chelmsford.

Laurence Vonderdell escaped with £1,100 after pointing the fruit at a cashier and demanding cash.

The three-year-old was injured by falling slate during roof replacement work at a hotel.

If you’ve ever considered fostering, you can get answers to all your burning questions at a drop-in session at Bridport Youth Centre on Thursday, 27 June.

Find out more about Fostering in Bridport

Between 3pm and 6pm, Dorset Council’s Foster in Dorset team will be there to chat through the criteria to become a carer, the application process, fees, training and the support foster carers receive.

The council is looking for carers to support children of all ages, but there is currently a particular need to find people who can care for teenagers and asylum-seeking children.

Dorset Council’s Fostering Engagement Officer Jo Thomson said: “This is a great opportunity for anyone who has ever thought about fostering to find out more without any pressure. We’re a friendly bunch and can tell you more about becoming a foster carer – including the fees and allowances you’ll receive, plus the training and ongoing support that we provide.”

You can also find out more by visiting fosterindorset.com, calling 01305 225568 or emailingfosteringenquiries@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk

The post Find out more about Fostering in Bridport appeared first on Dorset Council news.

Volunteers are needed to help newly-arrived refugee families from Syria get used to life in Dorset.

From left: Hamza Bakkor Dorset Council Case Worker, Jenny Willoughby, Syrian Programme Officer, Cllr Pauline Batstone, Dorset Council Chairman, Mona Elkotory , South West Dorset Multicultural Network and Susan Ward-Rice, Dorset Council Diversity and Inclusion Officer.

Under the Syrian Resettlement Programme, 15 families and 35 children have so far begun new lives in Dorset. Volunteers are needed to help them settle in, perhaps by taking them shopping, playing with children or just being a friendly face.

Dorset Council and the South West Dorset Multi-Cultural Network are working together to mark Refugee Week 17-23 June, by appealing for volunteers and also providing information in libraries and council offices across Dorset.

A mother-of-two, who has been given a warm welcome in Dorset, after being forced to flee Syria, spoke of her experience. She said: “Me, my husband and my two children fled the horror of war in Syria to neighbouring Iraq. We lived in a camp for five years. The situation was dire and horrible, and there were times when we could not feed our children.

“We lived in a camp.There were times we could not feed our children”

“We heard that there was a chance to leave via the United Nations and we registered our names on the list.  It seemed like a dream but we did it anyway.  It took about a year before we were told we could come to the UK.

“We just want to say to our landlord who is generous and kind that without his contribution, we wouldn’t be here in safety after all the struggles we have seen in our lives.  We want to say we are very grateful to all the volunteers and the local community in Dorset who have been very supportive.  They have become our friends and our family, and they have made us feel at home.  No matter what we say, it will not be enough to express our gratitude.”

Cllr Pauline Batstone, Chair of Dorset Race Equality Council and Dorset Council Chairman, said: “It is difficult for us to imagine what families have been through. It must also be daunting having to start afresh. If you think you could help a family get accustomed to life in Dorset please get in touch, a friendly face can help and make a real difference.”

Mona Elkatory, Chair of the South West Dorset Multicultural Network, said: “This week gives us the opportunity to reflect on the plight of refugees and consider what it mean to leave your home ,your country and your family behind to escape the horrors of the war.

“Let’s use this week than ever, to encourage people to consider different ways of supporting and helping refugees. South West Dorset Multiculture Network is proud to be part of the volunteering groups who support refugees in Dorset.”

The Government’s resettlement programme aims to help vulnerable families, who have been forced to flee the war in Syria. It is run locally by Dorset Council, which is asking people who might be able to house a refugee family to get in touch.

Refugee Week is the UK’s largest festival celebrating the contribution of refugees to our society and promoting understanding of why people seek sanctuary. The theme of this year’s festival is “You, me and those who came before”. It looks at both refugees who came here in the past – and those who welcomed them.

If you own a property in Dorset that you think could be suitable, please contact the resettlement officer by emailing: jennifer.willoughby@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk

If you are interested in volunteering to support a newly arrived refugee family, please contact Andy Jefferies on a.jefferies@volunteeringdorset.org.uk

For more information on the Southwest Dorset Multicultural Network contact Fiona Thomas fiona.thomas@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk

As part of Refugee Week, b-side and Dorset Place of Sanctuary are screening six short films on Tuesday 18 June at 7pm both in Bridport and on Portland.

The post Could you help a refugee family? appeared first on Dorset Council news.

The RMT is planning a five-day strike in a row with South Western Railway over guards on trains.

Simon Harmer takes 5-23 as Essex bowl out Hampshire for 118 before reaching 147-3 at the close.

A group of teenagers ran after and attacked four men in Bournemouth town centre.

A teenager is raped shortly after being reported missing in Bournemouth town centre.