dorset

A wildlife sanctuary is to stop rescuing wild birds due to financial pressures. Sharandys Birds of Prey, based in Vurlands Animal Farm in Swyre, Dorset, had been rescuing wild birds for more than 20 years.But it announced it could no longer provide the service due to rising costs. Centre owner Sharon Cox said the move was "heartbreaking" and "one of the hardest decisions" they have ever had to make.Cox, who runs Sharandys with her son Matt, said: "I've…

Work to upgrade a junction and pedestrian crossings to improve safety for schoolchildren is due to begin.Improvements to equipment, crossings and the junction at the Damers Road end of Williams Avenue, in Dorchester, will start on Monday and continue until April, Dorset Council said.The road will be closed eastbound for four weeks and temporary traffic arrangements will be in place.Families have called for safer crossings and better cycling links on the route, which is used by pupils attending…

An additional 100,000 people will have food waste collected when a new service begins.Residents of Poole and Bournemouth in Dorset who do not yet receive kerb-side collections will see them introduced from April.The roll-out will mean all households in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council area will be able to recycle their food waste.The council said the change will remove confusion and "make recycling part of everyday life" for people in the area.The majority of people in…

The initial cause of death for a couple found dead in a campervan following a cider festival in the New Forest has been given as carbon monoxide toxicity, a coroner has said.Kayleigh, 38, and Christopher Coll, 45, were found in the van on Pound Lane, Burley, in October.The couple, who lived in Blandford Forum, Dorset, were described in a tribute as "much-loved by everyone who knew them - vibrant, kind, and devoted to their family".Monday's hearing in Winchester…

Tristan PascoeDorset political reporterGetty ImagesBeach huts on Mudeford Spit have sold for hundreds of thousands of poundsBeach hut owners will have to pay full council tax on what are being described as their "second homes" from April, a council has said.The new charge affects more than 300 properties at Mudeford Spit and Hengitsbury Head in Dorset.The beach huts will no longer be eligible for a council tax reduction and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council said it hopes…

Preparation works to repair a main road in Dorset that connects people from an island to the mainland have begun.Cracks are beginning to show in the concrete on Ferry Bridge that leads Weymouth to Portland.The main repairs, which are needed to ensure the vital link is safe for future use, will run from 19 January to 12 March.A two-way traffic light system will be installed when part of the road is closed for single lane use.The route will…

A driver who injured a police officer in a crash has been given a suspended jail sentence, banned from driving and ordered to carry out unpaid work.Dorset Police previously said an officer was treated by paramedics and taken to hospital following the collision between an unmarked police vehicle and a white BMW on the A31 near Sturminster Marshall in September.Hassan Babaker, 35, of Felling, Gateshead, previously pleaded guilty to dangerous driving.He was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court to…

An e-scooter rider has suffered life-threatening injuries after he and his pillion passenger came off the vehicle.The man, who is in his 20s, was travelling on Old Christchurch Road in Bournemouth, opposite the Popworld nightclub, when the crash happened at about 01:55 GMT. He was taken to hospital and his family have been informed. His pillion passenger, a man in his 30s, suffered minor injuries.Dorset Police urged any witnesses to come forward, including those who might have dashcam…

A warning has been issued after large boulders were seen falling from cliffs on the Dorset coast.Lyme Regis Coastguard said an "active and ongoing landslip" was affecting Monmouth Beach.A statement said an area of beach at the base of the cliffs had been cordoned off and warned members of the public to stay well clear of the area.It added that it was unlikely that this fresh fall would contain fossils.In a statement, the coastguard said: "Large boulders have…

Helen Head and Patrick HughesSouth of EnglandBBCBBC Radio Solent's Soapbox Appeal will collect donations at over 50 drop-off points across Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of WightA BBC campaign aims to help charities and community groups by organising drop-off points for toiletries and hygiene items to be donated to people who need extra support.The BBC Radio Solent Soapbox Appeal will collect donations at over 50 drop-off points in Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight across January.They will…

A stretch of road affected by landslips has closed for stabilisation works, expected to take a year.Dorset Council previously said there was a risk of a fatality on the C13 at Dinah's Hollow, near Shaftesbury, Dorset unless tree felling and stabilisation works went ahead.The road will be closed between Boundary Road and the B3081, with access for residents and emergency services between Boundary Lane and West Lane.The C13 is a key north-south route for Dorset. Previous landslips have…