Skip to content

Weekly round-up: Five stories you may have missed

BBC A chinook landed in a field, it's a dark grey colour with two large propellers surrounded by green grass fieldBBC
A story about a helicopter stranded in a field was among the most read in Dorset

A story about the Royal Air Force working to fix a helicopter stranded in a field was among our most read this week in Dorset.

A variety of local issues were featured on the BBC News website, BBC Radio Solent and South Today.

We have picked five of them to keep you up to date.

RAF worked to repair helicopter stuck in field

The Royal Air Force had to work to fix a helicopter stranded in a field in Dorset on Monday.

The Chinook, from RAF Odiham in Hampshire, made a precautionary landing near Bere Regis late on Thursday 11 July due to a technical issue.

Engineers later discovered a fault in the hydraulic system and worked to repair it.

Listen: BBC Radio Solent's Steve Harris at the scene

Osprey chick takes flight in 'milestone' moment

Birds of Poole Harbour A webcam image of the ospreys in their nest, with scenic fields and trees in the background. On the left in the foreground is the osprey is that is about to take flightBirds of Poole Harbour
The latest fledgling (left), known as 5R0, flew to a nearby tree on Sunday

The nest of the only breeding pair of ospreys on England's south coast has seen a new generation of chicks start to take flight.

A reintroduction programme began in Poole Harbour in 2017 with the long-term aim of establishing a breeding population.

The latest fledgling, known as 5R0, flew to a nearby tree on Sunday morning.

Work begins on new £91m hospital building

UHD Mock up CGI image of the hospital wardUHD
The majority of ward spaces will be single rooms

Work started on a new £91m hospital building in Bournemouth that will increase patient capacity in the region.

The latest project at Royal Bournemouth Hospital is part of a £500m transformation of University Hospital Dorset (UHD) sites.

The four-floor, 10,800sqm building will house four levels of new hospital wards, totalling 110 beds.

It is due for completion in winter 2025.

Chris Packham urges council to ban weedkiller

Chris Packham looks off camera during an interview, he is wearing a red puffer jacket zipped up with a red fleece jumper underneath, there is woodland in the background
Chris Packham said Dorset Council's use of glyphosate was "mind-boggling"

TV naturalist Chris Packham urged a council to ban the use of a controversial weedkiller ahead of a debate about protecting nature.

Dorset councillors discussed a motion to declare a nature emergency but the presenter said the proposals did not go far enough.

In a letter to the authority, Packham said its use of "glyphosate across Dorset’s urban areas is simply mind-boggling".

New e-bike hire scheme set to launch

Dorset Council Three light green bikes standing up aside a path overlooking the coast, with a woman with sunglasses stood next to one, trying to get it started Dorset Council
The e-bikes will be operated by Beryl on the council's behalf

A new e-bike hire scheme is set to be launched across parts of Dorset.

Operator Beryl and Dorset Council said 121 e-bikes would be available across Dorchester, Weymouth and the Isle of Portland later this summer.

Users will be able to pick them up and drop them off at Beryl bays, with their locations to be agreed later.

More on this story