Weekly round-up: Five stories you may have missed

A flotilla of RNLI boats marking the charity's 200-year anniversary is among our most read stories this week in Dorset.

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

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

Iron Age bones show 'evidence of human sacrifice'

The skeleton of a woman in her late 20s was found face down on top of carefully arranged animal bones

An Iron Age woman whose remains were found in a pit may have been killed as a human sacrifice, researchers say.

A team from Bournemouth University said bones found in Winterborne Kingston, Dorset, in 2010, revealed the woman in her late 20s was stabbed in the neck.

Her spine also showed evidence of hard labour, her ribs were broken and isotopes in her teeth suggested she grew up more than 20 miles away.

Researchers said it was "rare physical evidence" of human sacrifice.

Florist thrilled to compete at Chelsea Flower Show

Floral designer Angela Turner said she was "excited" to compete

A florist has described being "thrilled and excited" to be in the running for Florist of the Year at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Angela Turner, who runs a floral design school in Ferndown, Dorset, worked with a Hampshire grower to source flowers for her exhibit.

Ms Turner said she used British blooms where possible, rather than imports, to support local businesses and because the flowers offered “wonderful scent and character”.

She said she was “very honoured” to be among 10 people selected to take part in the competition.

Flotilla of RNLI boats mark anniversary

The oldest RNLI vessel taking part was the William Riley from 1909

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) marked its 200th anniversary with a 40-boat flotilla.

The rescue vessels, including both current and historical lifeboats as well as international boats, came together to form a mile-long parade in Poole.

The spectacle brought to a close a weekend of celebratory events in the town where the charity is based.

The festival allowed people to witness demonstrations, displays and talks at the RNLI College.

Fifty-year-old crisp packet found in garden

The Quavers crisp packet has the date 31 October 1975 printed on it, which links to a competition

A new homeowner has found a crisp packet from nearly half a century ago in his back garden.

Cenk Albayrak-Touye was renovating his home in Poole, Dorset, when he made the discovery.

He said: "I dug up the turf in the back garden and found a load of items but it was the yellow packaging that caught my eye."

The Quavers crisp packet has the date 31 October 1975 printed on it, which links to a competition of some kind.

Castle tearoom to reopen after nearly two years

The tearoom at Highcliffe Castle has been closed since November 2022

The tearoom at a popular castle is set to reopen in the summer after being closed for more than 18 months.

The permanent tearoom at Highcliffe Castle in Dorset closed in November 2022, but owners BCP Council announced it will reopen in July after new operators were found.

Councillor Mike Cox said the search for new operators had not been "as quick as we all would have liked".

Sarah Hunter of Openwide, the company appointed to run the tearoom, said she was "absolutely delighted" to have won the contract.