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March 2021 March 2021

Wow! the water was so crystal clear and you could see the bottom with a forest
DORSET COUNCIL- WEST PURBECK REPORT of kelp and the occasional glimpse of the craggy outline of the rock formation
below. It was awesome! Occasional fish darted to and fro to add to the majesty
Dorset Police of the place.
I returned to shore early to view a sea of yellow EDOWSC hats bobbing excitedly
Dorset Police has seen a 6.1 per cent
drop in recorded crime; data released in the distance. Emily said " I thought the Dancing Ledge swim was incredible as
by the Office for National Statistics you swam and the rock dropped away beneath you underwater, like swimming
shows the Force has continued to see a over a cliff edge!".
drop in overall crime for the third Back to land they came and a quick change saw us negotiate the perilous climb
consecutive quarter. In early 2020 up the precipitous rocks. Phil and Ray were there to give everyone assistance and
Dorset Police received a ‘Good’ the occasional push and prod.
grading from Her Majesty's Inspectorate
of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue
Services (HMICFRS) for accurate crime
recording, which means the reduction of 6.1 per cent during the 12 months to the
end of September 2020 is a real reduction, this gives us the ninth lowest crime rate
in England and Wales.

A reduction within some crime types has very likely been impacted by COVID-19
and national restrictions requiring people to stay home during the first lockdown.
Even with some crime returning to expected levels during the summer months, the
overall reduction enabled the Force to proactively focus on the crimes that affect
the most vulnerable members of our communities, such as domestic abuse, child
sexual exploitation and county lines. The total number of crimes reduced from
54,387 to 51,088 over the 12-month period, a reduction of 4.3 crimes per 1,000
population.

Having climbed the hill a little way, we found the South West coastal footpath
Census 2021
which was to lead us west and parallel to the cliffs to Winspit an old disused quarry
The census is a once-in-a-decade survey that gives the most accurate estimate of cut into the cliffs near Worth Matravers. We carefully made our way down the
all the people and households in England and Wales. It has been carried out every crag, over some jagged rocks to a ledge. A quick change saw our intrepid
10 years since 1801, apart from 1941. It will be run predominantly online. All Dorset swimmers enter the ravine. Again we were able to look down on a whole new
households should have received a letter in late February with a unique access world. crabs crawling along the bottom and fish darting here and there, the kelp
code, allowing them to complete the questionnaire on their computers, phones or changing colour and texture glistening in the morning sun. This was a truly magical
tablet devices. Census day will be on March 21, but households will receive letters place.
with online codes allowing them to take part from early March.
Again a quick change and in our hiking gear we were heading off up the hill to
Iain Bell, deputy national statistician at Office for National Statistics, said: “A the "Square and Compass" for a pint and pasty. Pies, pasties and Dorset apple
successful census will ensure everyone from local government to charities can put cake seemed to be the only items on the menu! The Purbecks are full of
services and funding in the places where they are most needed. This could mean interesting places to visit and this pub is no exception. Run by the same family for
things like doctors’ surgeries, schools and new transport routes. That’s why it is so generations, it feels like it is in a time-warp back to the 1930s. It has its own fossil
important everyone takes part and we have made it easier for people to do so museum and runs a busy programme of entertainments throughout the summer.
online on any device, with help and paper questionnaires for those that need A short drive took us to Renscombe Farm National Trust Car Park and another mile
them.”
walk firstly over cornfields and then a steep descent to Chapman's Pool a

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