Dorset weekly round-up: 12 November - 18 November

The Red Arrows will not feature in the 2024 show

The on-going debate about the future of the Bournemouth Air Festival was 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 stories to keep you up to date.

MP starts petition against air show funding cut

Tobias Ellwood said he was "astonished" by the council's decision

An MP has started a petition to "save Bournemouth Air Festival" after Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council proposed inviting external organisations to fund and run the festival from 2025.

Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood said the move would put the town's "flagship event under threat".

BCP culture councillor Andy Martin said the proposal was about supporting businesses that depend on the visitor economy with a "long-term way forward".

Mum and pram crash victim learns to walk again

A mother struck by a hit-and-run driver as she pushed her daughter's pram to safety has described learning to walk again.

Dale Clark hit Rebecca Sharp with his Toyota Rav4 in Bournemouth on 11 April.

She was able to push her baby to safety but suffered a near-fatal brain injury, a broken leg, pelvis, ribs and a fractured skull.

Police call rapist 'detestable' as he is jailed

Gary Bridger attacked his victim at a house in Sherborne in July 2022

A man has been jailed for 12 years for the rape and sexual assault of a woman in Dorset.

Gary Bridger, 66, attacked his victim at a property in Sherborne on 7 July 2022.

Bridger, from Wincanton, Somerset, was found guilty of two counts of rape and two of sexual assault following a trial.

Specially trained assistance dogs help children

Tinker has been trained to support children who have a range of conditions

A charity is training dogs to help young people with additional needs.

Helpful Hounds Assistance Dogs, based in Bournemouth, uses the animals to improve the quality of life for children with a range of conditions.

The organisation has been supported by money from BBC Children in Need.

Sand lizards return to heath after fire

The lizards are being released in an attempt to restore the population to a self-sustaining level

Sand lizards have been released at a nature reserve in an attempt to re-establish the reptiles' population after a major fire.

The fire on Winfrith Heath destroyed an area the equivalent to the size of two football pitches in April 2020.

Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) said the rare sand lizards had not been seen on the heath since.