Dorset Police have told county councillors that in rural areas, how anti-social behaviour is reported can determine whether it’s treated as a persistent problem or written off as a one-off incident. Police leaders said anti-social behaviour is now a core priority across Dorset, including rural communities, but only when repeat incidents are logged in a way that shows a clear pattern. Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick told Dorset councillors that anti-social behaviour is now firmly part

A beautiful day in Shaftesbury, Dorset walking down Gold Hill, the cobbled street made famous by the 'Hovis' advert #Shaftesbury #dorset #explore | Exploring GB

Donna Bernard may be a familiar face around town, but her career began in front of a very different skyline. As GMTV’s New York correspondent, she covered stories across North America. “They say New York, but actually it meant North America, so anything that happened in America, I would cover,” she said. The biggest story during her time there was the plane crash that killed John F Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette. “I was terrified because I had to do these live two-ways with all these major Amer

A former Shaftesbury town councillor has challenged the above-inflation rise in the town’s share of council tax, telling senior figures at Dorset Council that the increase is not justified and that residents are being asked to pay for projects already funded by developers. Karen Tippins appeared by video link at a Dorset Council Cabinet meeting to argue that the 12% rise agreed for 2026–27 is being driven not by unavoidable costs but by decisions about how projects are being funded. Days earlier

A town council decision celebrated as a win for local control could be reversed tonight after Dorset Council made clear it sees two contracts that directly affect how Shaftesbury’s open spaces look, the management of Castle Hill and the cutting of roadside verges, as inseparable. That could mean councillors make a U-turn on plans to remove Dorset Council Rangers from maintaining Castle Hill and instead keep the existing arrangement in place. Last April, all 12 members of Shaftesbury Town Council