Dorchester's new not-for-profit community radio station officially went live at the weekend.

KeeP106 launched at noon on Saturday, with Mayor of Dorchester, Cllr David Taylor, being the first guest on the air.

Volunteers at KeeP106 as well as sponsors, the mayor and his consort, Martin Shepherd, and members of the public, gathered at The Little Keep on Saturday morning in anticipation of the first live show.

They was a huge cheer from the crowd as the clock struck 12 as director, presented and engineering organiser at KeeP106, Rob Mott, welcomed Cllr Taylor onto the show.

After a brief welcome, Cllr Taylor officially opened the station with an official ribbon cutting.

Guests were then treated to refreshments and allowed a glimpse of the radio's new home at The Little Keep.

As part of the new community radio station, Cllr Taylor will be presenting a weekly programme, 'Mayor on the Air', every Friday afternoon between 12pm and 2pm.

Speaking at the event, Cllr Taylor said: "I am delighted to be doing 'Mayor on the Air' with the radio.

"This is a great day for the community, something we've all been waiting for.

"It's fantastic to have a community radio station for Dorchester, talking about community issues, events, health and so much more.

"It's also brilliant to see so many people here, coming out to support their town.

"This is a great day for Dorchester."

Mr Mott said: "It's been a year's worth of work to get to where we are. We got our new licence in December and we have been working non-stop to get KeeP106 launched.

"What we are looking for at the moment is advertising and sponsors to help fund the station - we're a not-for-profit and rely on people's support.

"We have committed to 20 per cent speech on the air, so it's not just going to be the same as it was. We're going to be talking about a much wider range of issues from planning consultations all the way to the community events.

"Our slogan for KeeP106 is 'proud to be different' and that's something we intend push and continue on with."

For more information, call 01305 267545 or visit keep106.com