A £100,000 bronze sculpture is to be placed in Basingstoke to mark the bicentenary of the author's death.

BBC Local Live for Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight returns tomorrow at 08:00.

A strike by conductors on the Southern rail network will still go ahead next week after the RMT was barred from ongoing talks, the union says.

Ever dreamed of lifting a trophy on the pitch at Wembley? Well, here's your chance.

BBC Get Inspired has again teamed up with the Football Association to launch the 2017 FA People's Cup, a free five-a-side knockout competition that gives the people of England the chance to play in their version of the FA Cup.Watch as Radio 1Xtra DJ Nick Bright shows his (almost) silky ball skills, while explaining how you can get involved - and for all the information you need, read our Get Inspired guide.

Crews from three counties were called to a fire involving a greenhouse in Hale in the north of the New Forest.

Southampton manager has praised his players' "attitude and concentration" in their 1-0 FA Cup replay win over Norwich.

Image source, Getty Images

A man drowned in the sea at Southsea in Hampshire after getting drunk and losing his way home from the pub, an inquest has heard. 

The body of Nitin Woocheet, 26, was spotted floating off Sandown Bay, Isle of Wight, more than a month after he was seen stumbling on Southsea beach on 17 March 2016.

Image source, Google

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Coroner David Horsley said Mr Woocheet's reason for visiting the beach was unclear. 

He said: "The only thing I can speculate is he lost his bearings, he had quite a lot to drink and was probably confused. Why he ended up on the seafront we do not know."

Campaigners have said attempts to house Syrian refugees in Ringwood have been "dismissed" by the town council.

More than 30 students holding placards as well as members of local churches attended a council meeting on Wednesday, hoping to overturn a decision in October not to resettle any Syrian families in the town.

Image source, AFP

Ringwood deputy town clerk Jo Hurd said members would "welcome a family but the barrier is a lack of housing".

She said a letter indicating support would be sent to other local councils.

Town mayor Michael Thierry, whose plea to set up a working party was turned down, said the "letter of platitude" was a "fairly dismissive" response.

The Isle of Wight Council's outgoing leader has urged his successor to "stand up" to central government over funding.

Independent Jonathan Bacon stepped down on Monday citing a lack of support which he said made his position "intolerable".

Conservative Dave Stewart won a vote to become council leader at a meeting of the local authority last night.

Wightlink's Elwyn Dop has been talking about the fire which broke out on the St Faith ferry in the middle of the Solent earlier this morning.

He said the situation was dealt with quickly.

A fire at workshops and garages in Dorset forces the partial closure of one of the county's busiest roads and leaves much of a village without power.

The A35 is now fully reopen following the serious fire at Winterbourne Abbas earlier.

The fire service said two of the six units in the single-storey building involved in the fire had been completely destroyed while the others were severely damaged.

The earlier partial closure of the A35 was to allow crews to access a fire hydrant to bring water into the rural location but it led to delays of up to an hour for some drivers.

Crews remain at the scene damping down.

We've received the first pictures of the maquette for the statue of Jane Austen which will be placed in Basingstoke town centre to mark the 200th anniversary of her death.

The life-sized bronze sculpture is being created by artist Adam Roud. It's believed to be the first statue of the author.

Austen spent the first 25 years of her life in Steventon, near Basingstoke, where her father was a vicar.

A fire that broke out on a car ferry as it crossed the Solent may have started in an air conditioning unit, operator Wightlink says.

The fire which broke out on a Wightlink ferry earlier this morning may have started in an air-conditioning unit, the carrier has said.

The fire on the 09:00 Portsmouth to Fishbourne sailing broke out on the open deck near the bridge. Fifty two passengers and 13 crew were on board at the time. The crew extinguished the fire. No-one was injured.

The company said services across the Solent would run as normal during the afternoon.

Image source, Christopher Isom Photography