Archive

  • Cycle parking campaign proves to be a success

    FOR several years local cyclists have been contacting Southampton Cycling Campaign about the lack of secure cycle stands at a number of supermarkets in the city. The most frequently cited were the Tesco stores in Lodge Road and on the Woodman site

  • No resolutions

    MY new year’s resolution is not to make one, which means that for the first time ever I will be unable to break it. PHILIP G HAWKINS, Sholing

  • Streaming leads to closure of business

    THE fact that HMV and Blockbuster are in trouble is said to be because of downloads and streaming music and films. If this is the case then it is not only going to put high street retailers out of business/work if physical copies of CDs and DVDs

  • To beef or not to beef!

    WHEN in France, having enjoyed many a “ le filet de cheval”, far tastier than beef, I have no axe to grind with horsemeat, indeed I enjoy horse racing far more than looking at a herd of cattle, except maybe Jerseys. I never buy supermarket processed

  • Is hospital still using Pathway scheme?

    THE excellent Echo report on the Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) programme highlighted some very serious issues for its supporters and critics like me. The recent news by the Quality Care Commission stated that the Southampton General Hospital’s (

  • IT company completes buyout

    A computer company has bought a rival IT firm for an undisclosed six-figure sum. Bosses at Hampshire Business Computers (HBC) in Romsey say more acquisitions could be in the offing after taking over Andover firm Networking Fundamentals Limited (NeFu

  • Celebrity baker meets Hampshire WI members

    CELEBRITY baker and food writer Mary Berry will be joining hundreds of Hampshire WI members for lunch on Thursday. The Concorde Club in Eastleigh will be packed full with 280 WI members as they listen to Mary talking about her life in baking over

  • Police release CCTV pictures in hunt for bike thieves

    Police have released CCTV images of two people they would like to speak to in connection with the theft of a bike in Fareham. The incident occurred at the Cash Convertors store in West Street. A boy entered the shop with a man and a woman.

  • More snow forecast for southern England

    ICE and snow will continue to plague Hampshire’s roads for the next couple of days as winter maintains a cold grip on the region. The Met Office has issued warnings for motorists that freezing temperatures today and tomorrow will make driving conditions

  • Fostering information sessions

    SOUTHAMPTON City Council is hosting fostering information sessions from 4.30pm-7pm on Thursday and from 11.30am to 2pm and 4.30-7pm on January 29 at the Civic Centre library, Southampton. For more information call 0800 5 19 18 18 or visit: southampton.gov.uk

  • Bex snaps top prize with mini frog picture

    A TEENAGER is in the frame to launch her dream career after picking up a prestigious photography award. Bex Saunders, 16, has been selected as one of the winners in the inaugural ZSL Animal Photography competition. The Peter Symonds College

  • Two arrested over 11 burglaries

     Detectives in the New Forest have arrested two men on suspicion of committing 11 burglaries in and around the Lymington area. The men, aged 54 and 44 are both local to Lymington and were arrested this morning. They currently being questioned

  • Former RAF Mandy jets in for talk

    Former RAF pilot Mandy Hickson will be talking about how she overcame a crisis in confidence when she returned to work after having a family. She has teamed up with Rachel Maunder, a coach and mentor for women in business, to organise the Inspiring

  • Cycle security help in Portswood

    Staff at Portswood police station in St Denys Road, Southampton, will be helping cyclists keep their bikes safe on January 26. Cyclists can get their bike security coded for free at the station from midday to 4pm.

  • Southampton firm wins fast boat design contract

    A SOUTHAMPTON shipping firm has won a design contact for two 25-metre fast boats. BMT Nigel Gee has designed the four-engine boat for ARCO Marine and Oilfield Services along with Penguin Shipyard International, a subsidiary of Singapore-based crewboat

  • Bus company reviews axed services

    PEOPLE power has led a bus company to review and reinstate some Hampshire bus services. Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage welcomed the news that First Hampshire bus company have decided to look at the changes it made to bus routes in Gosport and Fareham

  • 107-year-old has been following Saints for 100 years

    IT’S official. Percy Purkiss has clocked up an amazing 100 years as a Saints supporter. After going to his first match as a seven-year-old, Percy has now celebrated his 107th birthday, making him probably the club’s longest serving fan. Although

  • Le Tiss and Dennis lined up

    Matt Le Tissier and Mark Dennis are appearing at a special evening in Winchester. The former Saints duo will take part in an evening with Saints legends night at the Holiday Inn on Thursday, March 14. The night will include a three course meal

  • Mayor’s ‘spa’ visit to home

    WITH all the paperwork, appointments and responsibilities, it is easy to see why Lymington mayor Jacqueline England might want a little rest and recuperation time. But rather than a sunshine break or a visit to an exclusive spa, she chose somewhere

  • Footballers 'assaulted young woman'

    A woman told a court today she woke up half-naked in a hotel bed next to a footballer after a night out clubbing in Brighton. She said she could not remember getting there and was horrified to find mobile phone pictures of four footballers assaulting

  • Special school praised by Ofsted inspectors

    A SCHOOL for children with special educational needs has been praised by inspectors. The Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) has given Oak Lodge School in Dibden Purlieu an overall rating of “good”, with the behaviour and safety of students

  • Minister to discuss 'appalling abuse' at school

    A GOVERNMENT minister has agreed to meet an MP to discuss an "appalling" case of abuse at a Hampshire special school. Caroline Nokes raised the tribunal ruling on Stanbridge Earls School, in Romsey, during education questions at Westminster.

  • Prince William's flying tutor killed in motorcycle crash

    Prince William's Hampshire flying tutor was killed in a high-speed motorcycle crash as he tried to overtake a truck which failed to indicate it was turning right, an inquest heard today. James Hassell, 36, was pronounced dead at the scene of the

  • French pong reaches Hampshire

    HAMPSHIRE has been engulfed by a foul-smelling gas cloud which wafted over from France, triggering thousands of calls to the emergency services and the National Grid. Peopleacross the county first reported the smell after a discharge of the gas

  • Preview cruises lined up for new Royal Princess

    The world`s newest cruise ship, the 141,000-ton Royal Princess, will undertake two preview cruises from Southampton before her maiden voyage in June. Currently under construction in Italy, Royal Princess will leave the city on a two-night itinerary featuring

  • Outstanding nursery school

    SOUTH Wonston Nursery School is celebrating after it was rated “outstanding” by Ofsted inspectors. The day care facility in Groves Close achieved the top grade in all areas for the third year running after an inspection last November.

  • Thief steals laptop from restaurant

    A THIEF is being sought by police after he conned his way into a private area of a Chinese restaurant and stole an Apple Air laptop. The man struck between 5.30pm and 6pm on Saturday, telling staff he was a customer and wanted to use the toilet

  • Trapped cruise ship freed from Antarctic ice

    A CRUISE liner which became trapped in massive ice floes has been rescued by a Hampshire based Royal Navy vessel. The liner was following the ice-breaker HMS Protector through breaks in the densely-packed ice but became faced with a number of fast-moving

  • Temporary school to ease places shortage

    A NEW £2.2m temporary primary school is to be built in Whiteley to tackle the shortage of places for pupils. Parents have long campaigned for extra places to cope with ever increasing pupil numbers. The existing three-form entry primary in

  • RNLI volunteers thanked for saving lives at sea

    LIFEBOATS across Hampshire had to brave treacherous conditions more than 120 times to rescue sailors during 2012. Volunteers from the county’s RNLI were despatched 126 times last year and rescued 150 people from perilous coastal waters. The

  • Amputee to retrace Telemark heroes' journey

    IT was described as the most successful act of sabotage carried out during the Second World War. A group of commandos managed to enter a heavily-guarded factory in Nazi-occupied Norway and disrupt the manufacture of heavy water, which the Germans

  • Mascarenhas enjoys winning start in Bangladesh

    Dimi Mascarenhas finished on the winning side when he made his Bangladesh Premier League debut for the Rangpur Riders. Hampshire's T20 captain, having played in New Zealand’s HRV Cup and Australia's Big Bash within the last month, helped defeat the Chittagong

  • Police hunt man who tried to steal number plates

    POLICE in Ringwood are looking for a man who tried to steal number plates from a van. Officers said the victim’s white Mercedes Vito was targeted between 5.30pm and 5.35pm on Thursday, January 17, in Broadshard Lane on Ringwood and Headlands Business

  • Footballers 'photographed sexual assault' of young woman

    A group of south coast footballers took pictures of themselves sexually assaulting a drunken 19-year-old woman, the Old Bailey heard today. The Brighton and Hove Albion players wanted to have ''a permanent record of their conquest'', jurors were

  • Hospitals ‘bad for the elderly’

    Hospitals are “very bad places” for the elderly and more needs to be done to treat people in the community. That is the view of the new independent head of the NHS – and it is a stance that has now been backed by charities in Hampshire. Sir

  • Teenagers using empty building as skate park

    POLICE found teenagers using an empty building as a skate park. A passing patrol found a group inside an industrial unit, on the School Lane development, in Chandler’s Ford, where skate ramps had been built. Seven people aged 14 or 15, and one

  • 70 jobs planned with new shops and restaurants

    THIS is the first glimpse of a multi-million-pound shopping scheme that aims to create at least 70 jobs. A developer is planning to bulldoze a used car centre and replace it with a KFC restaurant and drive-thru, a similar facility operated by Costa

  • Police hunt allotment chicken thieves

    POLICE are appealing for information after 20 chickens were stolen from the Recreation Allotments, Botley Road, Curdridge. Two eight-month-old Buff Orpington hens were snatched, along with one Buff Orpington cockerel and 12 Columbian Black-tails

  • Kitchen fire at flat

    FIREFIGHTERS were called to a small kitchen fire in a ground floor flat in Southampton this morning. Two crews from St Mary's headed to Cedar Road, Portswood, after the call at 10.30am, but by the time they arrived, the fire had been put out.

  • Drugs 'shock' over body in the car murder

    A FRIEND of a man whose charred remains were found in a blazing car told a murder trial that he did not know he was a cocaine dealer. Alir Domi said he was also unaware Agim Hoxha, from Southampton, possessed an AK47 rifle. “It was not the

  • Women in punch up at taxi rank

    Police are appealing for witnesses to a fight between two women at a taxi rank in Hampshire. The women – one aged 18 from Aldershot and the other aged 19 from Hayling Island – were involved in an fracas in the early hours. The incident took

  • Charity music marathon at O'Neills pub in Winchester

    O’Neills pub in High Street, Winchester, is holding a charity music marathon on January 26 and 27. Money raised at the event will go towards Naomi House children’s hospice and Wessex Cancer Trust. The event starts at midday on both days. Entry

  • Winterwatch descends into Madness

    Wildlife expert Chris Packham has gone One Step Beyond other TV presenters – by sneaking more than 20 Madness song titles into BBC show Winterwatch. Chris, 51, has secretly slipped the legendary 80s pop band’s hit singles into the live programme

  • Charity variety show heads to The Mayflower

    YOUNGSTERS from across Hampshire will be showcasing their talents at a variety stage show for charity. The Mayflower theatre, in Southampton, will host Wessex Heartbeat’s High 5 Appeal Variety Show, hosted by comedian Mike Osman. The Daily Echo-backed

  • Four motorcross bikes stolen in raid

    Police are appealing for information after four motocross bikes were stolen in Hampshire. The offender/s entered a workshop on Salisbury Road, Shipton Bellinger and once inside they took four motocross bikes and two spray paint guns. The stolen

  • Statement tells of ‘deep regret’

    A HAMPSHIRE school at the centre of a damning report about how a girl was sexually abused by fellow pupils as spoken of its deep regret. IN a statement, Stanbridge Earls said that it strives to deliver the highest possible standards in education

  • New deal helps Pete carry on diving

    Southampton diver Peter Waterfield is celebrating after receiving a new sponsorship deal that will take him through to the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Waterfield last week had his funding cut, but has now been handed a lifeline to carry on in his

  • Duo jailed for shooting man in legs in drug feud

    TWO drug dealers have been jailed for shooting a man in the legs in Southampton. In a case that has sparked a major police crackdown on gang-related drug activity in the city, Calvin Lawrence and Malachi Francis have both been imprisoned for 13

  • Frank sets Heart on grand year

    FOLLOWING a year that saw a headline sold-out gig at Wembley Arena and a performance at the London Olympics Opening Ceremony and ended in a birthday benefit gig at The Joiners, Winchester-born folk/punk hero Frank Turner starts 2013 by announcing the

  • £100k boost for libraries following cuts

    SOUTHAMPTON'S libraries have been given a reprieve by civic chiefs dishing money back out into the city sparing them from the axe. They had been left reeling from the city council's cuts as the authority tried to find an extra £20m worth of savings

  • Ex-Barca midfielder linked to Saints

    Saints have been linked with a move for one of Mauricio Pochettino’s former Espanyol stars. Midfielder Joan Verdu, 29, was signed by the new Saints manager from Barcelona in the summer of 2009. His current contract expires this summer.

  • Boss Mauricio's mind is on the job

    Saints boss Mauricio Pochettino wants the focus to be on the football his team plays after overseeing a goalless draw with Everton in his first game in charge of the Saints. The Argentinian's appointment came as fans' favourite Nigel Adkins was

  • Walking festival has new sponsor

    The annual Isle of Wight Walking Festival will have a new title sponsor this year. Exodus Travels, a leading provider of small group walking holidays, has signed up to support the event and as part of the sponsorship, will be offering participants

  • Bus driver tells of terror as mob of 30 attack his bus

    A BUS driver has told of his nightmare as a gang of 30 yobs fought to try to rob him of his takings. The mob surrounded the number 2 First service after it became trapped in icy conditions. At the wheel was Bakir Sayin who told the Daily Echo

  • RNLI lifeboats in more than 760 call outs

    Volunteer crew members at RNLI lifeboat stations on the Sussex and Hampshire coast had another busy year of rescues in 2012, launching 763 times and rescuing 726 people. The figures show that despite a year of relatively poor weather and heavy rainfall

  • 250,000 demand greater protection of coast

    A 250,000 name petition will be handed to the Government today to call for greater protection of the south coast. It comes after dozens of the 127 proposed marine conservation zones were judged by Government advisers to be at high risk. But

  • Moyes pays tribute to Adkins

    David Moyes offered his praise to axed Saints boss Nigel Adkins after last night’s goalless draw at St Mary’s. High-flying Everton were presented with a stern test at St Mary’s and had to fight to earn themselves a point. Toffees boss Moyes was impressed

  • Chope refers to waiters as ‘servants’

    A FORMER Southampton MP has been criticised for calling Parliament’s waiters “servants”. Tory Christopher Chope used the description during a speech in the House of Commons. It came as the 65-year-old former barrister, who is now the MP for Christchurch

  • Break-in at pawnbrokers

    BURGLARS used a pickaxe to smash their way into a pawnbroker’s in Eastleigh. A gang forced up security shutters at H & T Pawnbrokers in Market Street, then smashed their way through glass and into the store. Jewellery on display behind

  • Adkins airbrushed out of Saints programme

    IF you were hoping to read a simple word of thanks to Nigel Adkins in last night’s official matchday programme, you would have been disappointed. Back-to-back promotions and a solid start to life in the Premier League were not even granted a cursory

  • Flats blaze arson suspected

    ARSONISTS are thought to be behind a flats blaze that could have cost lives. Archer House in The Redan, Gosport, was evacuated after residents were trapped inside by a burning bin shed. No one was injured in the blaze early on Sunday. Det

  • Pochettino - "I felt kindness"

    Mauricio Pochetinno said he “felt the kindness” from Saints fans as his first game in charge at St Mary’s ended in a goalless draw against Everton. The new manager has been in a spin over the weekend, trying to get to know his players and prepare

  • Recycling centre inquest continues

    THE inquest into the death of a man who fell over at a Hampshire recycling centre will be resumed this week. Bruce Norton-Amor, 85, a widower from Romsey, was at the Household Waste Recycling Centre, in Bunny Lane, Timsbury, when he fell backwards

  • Lambert disappointed not to beat Everton

    Rickie Lambert, a Liverpool fan as a schoolboy, admitted he was disappointed not to have capped off a threatening display with a goal against Everton. “It was a good point, but we’re disappointed not to get the three, especially first half,” he

  • £2.2m Hampshire primary school only temporary

    A NEW £2.2m temporary primary school is to be built in a Hampshire community to tackle the shortage of places for pupils. Parents in Whiteley have long campaigned for extra places to cope with ever increasing pupil numbers. The existing three-form

  • Schneiderlin: Pochettino will be "a great"

    Saints midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin believes Mauricio Pochettino will become a “great” manager for the club. Pochettino’s first game in charge after controversially replacing Nigel Adkins in the St Mary’s hotseat ended in a goalless draw at home to

  • CONSTRUCTION STARTS ON RETIREMENT DEVELOPMENT IN HYTHE

    McCarthy & Stone has started construction work on 36 new Later Living properties in Hythe. The new development, located on Southampton Road, will comprise a mix of one and two bedroom privately owned apartments exclusively for the over 60s. Apartments