Archive

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A fifth of people struggle to get an NHS dentist appointment

A fifth of people in Hertfordshire struggle to get an appointment with an NHS dentist, new survey data suggests. The British Dental Association said for millions accessing NHS dentistry "is just a nice idea rather that a reality they can depend

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Got a Tesco Clubcard? How you could earn an extra £50 worth of bonus points

If you shop at Tesco regularly, you will know by now just how much money you can save with a Clubcard. From slashing the price of bottles of orange juice to punnets of fruit, the supermarket is constantly lowering the cost of popular groceries

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What age does your child have to be to babysit their siblings in the UK?

Finding babysitting arrangements last minute can be challenging which is why people across the country look to a family member. When an uncle or granny isn't available, many opt for one of their older children. If you're considering this option

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Can you park on a dropped kerb? The Highway Code offers advice to drivers

With many households having multiple cars to park, it’s no wonder that questions around where you’re allowed to park are raised. Dropped kerbs are found on a variety of roads and allow pedestrians and vehicles to smoothly move from the road to

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Can you park on a dropped kerb? The Highway Code offers advice to drivers

With many households having multiple cars to park, it’s no wonder that questions around where you’re allowed to park are raised. Dropped kerbs are found on a variety of roads and allow pedestrians and vehicles to smoothly move from the road to

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Ferreira in Italy trying to earn a move to Udinese

Defender Joao Ferreira is undertaking pre-season training with Udinese. The Watford Observer understands the Hornets have given the 23-year-old Portuguese permission to spend time over in Italy. Three weeks left, still £14m-worth of shares

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Dangerous giant hogweed plants left untreated

National Highways could "lose control" of a dangerous plant infestation after it was left untreated for over six weeks, a conservation worker has warned. Sandy Belloni, who runs a local action group Community Connections Projects CIC, has been

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Dreading cleaning your BBQ? Try this quick hack using 12p household item

Much of the UK is set to have a “mini” heatwave on the way over the next few days. When the sun is shining, few things can beat al fresco dining, but cleaning the BBQ after greasy sausages and burgers have been sizzling away for hours can fill

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How British are you? Can you pass the Citizenship test with our quiz

We're the "country of Shakespeare, Churchill, The Beatles, Sean Connery, Harry Potter, David Beckham’s right foot, David Beckham’s left foot, come to that" but how well do you really know the UK? Those born here may feel pretty confident that they

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A look back at Watford Springs - the perfect site for a hot summer's day

Few things can beat taking a dip in a pool on a hot day like today – and for almost a decade Watford Springs was a popular destination for those wanting to cool off. Anticipation continued to build through the summer of 1990 as the Lower High Street

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Woman due in crown court after weapons factory protest

A 20-year-old from Chorleywood is set to appear in crown court over blocking national infrastructure after a weapons factory protest. Henriette Cameron, of Old Common Road, has been charged with interfering with the use or operation of key national

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'Majority' of south west Herts GPs hit by global IT outage

The majority of GP practices in south west Hertfordshire have been affected by the global Microsoft IT outage. In a statement published at 12.30pm today (July 19), Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) confirmed the disruption

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'Enough is enough' - residents' anger after splash park closed AGAIN

Bushey splash park’s sudden closure for the FOURTH time this year has seen angry residents declare “enough is enough”. A spokesperson for Hertsmere Borough Council confirmed that the King George Recreation Ground's Splash Pad closed temporarily

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John and Amy Hunt fundraiser nears £100k - with £15k pledge among donations

The fundraiser for John and Amy Hunt is on track to reach £100,000 after the murder of family members Carol, Hannah and Louise. Horse racing broadcaster Matt Chapman, who created a GoFundMe page on Saturday (July 13), has said he would “love” the

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Less than 0.5% of total investment in Watford offer has come in last two weeks

Only £15,000 has been invested in Watford’s digital equity scheme in the last fortnight. With three weeks until the offer closes, the total amount actually invested at midday today (Friday) was £3,826,992. Trio expected to return to action

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Watford bank closed for weeks as refurbishment gets under way

A Watford bank branch has closed today for over three weeks while it undergoes renovations. The HSBC in High Street is now shut until Monday, August 12, for internal building work and redecoration, as well as for a new cash machine to be installed

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No 'other choice': More than 5,000 prisoners to be freed early to protect system

The government wasn’t left with “any other choice” than to release prisoners earlier than planned but it will create a “big responsibility” on other parts of the justice system, the Chief Inspector of Constabulary has said. Inmates are being released

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Firm fined £50k after worker plunged 11m at Herts construction site

An engineering firm has been fined more than £50,000 after an employee suffered serious injuries while working at a construction site in Hertfordshire. The man, employed as a mechanical engineer by EMC Elite Engineering Services Ltd, had been repairing

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Grange Hill star to stand trial after Herts Police sex offences probe

Grange Hill star John Alford will stand trial over alleged sexual offences involving a girl aged under 16, after a Herts Police investigation. The former London’s Burning actor was charged, under his real name John Shannon, on July 16, 2023, following

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Stunning waterfront house worth £4.5 million up for grabs in next Omaze draw

A stunning waterfront house in Cornwall worth £4.5 million is up for grabs in the next Omaze prize draw. The winner of the Omaze Million Pound House Draw will get the keys to the contemporary, four-bedroom home near Falmouth. Sitting on the

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Police dispersal order made to pre-empt schools break-up chaos

Police have put a Watford town centre dispersal order in place from lunchtime after kids caused chaos when schools broke up last year. At the time footage circulated widely on social media showing teenagers hysterically charging around as schools

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Watford man charged with ‘claiming to be member of Russia’s Wagner Group’

A Watford man has been charged with being a member of Russia's The Wagner Group. Piotr Kucharski, of The Glebe, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (July 17) charged with professing to be a member of the banned military group

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‘Chaos’ at Luton airport as GPs and trains hit by IT outage - recap

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House to be built in long-vacant plot after 'exceptional' plan needed

Vacant land between homes is set to be built on as plans have been approved at the fifth attempt. The site at 104 Estcourt Road, Watford, used to be the access to a workshop set back from the street but the commercial space has since been redeveloped

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If you're heading to Kent, Porto, Moussa and Chak should be back

Fans travelling to watch Watford tomorrow’s friendly at Gillingham are likely to see the first appearances of the summer from both Giorgi Chakvetadze and Ryan Porteous, plus the return of Moussa Sissoko. Chakvetadze and Porteous had extremely contrasting

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Five Just Stop Oil protesters jailed for conspiracy to block M25

Five Just Stop Oil protesters, including one of its co-founders, have been jailed for several years for conspiring to organise protests that blocked the M25 motorway, in what are thought to be the longest sentences ever given for peaceful protest.

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Global Microsoft outage affects banks and causes airlines to ground flights

Businesses and users who use Microsoft are facing major outages in the UK and around the world, with laptops and systems not working. Sky News was one of the companies that were affected, being unable to broadcast its morning show at 6am, with

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Enjoy a taste of the globe with special deal on Beer52 case

Calling all beer lovers! Beer52, the world's leading craft beer club, is offering a taste of the globe for just £6.95 postage. We teamed up with Beer52 to allow new UK customers to claim a case of eight unique craft beers, each hailing from a different

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Bring a taste of the Mediterranean to your doorstep with Cypress tree offer

Bring the beauty of the Mediterranean to your doorstep with a pair of Italian Cypress trees. These architectural wonders are perfect for flanking entrances or adding a touch of class to patios. We've teamed up with You Garden to help save you

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Driver runs from scene of crash as car revealed to have false plates

Police believe AirPods might be the key to finding a driver after they were involved in a crash and ran off. A White Vauxhall Astra ended up off the road after a two-vehicle smash in Oxhey Lane, Carpenders Park, yesterday (July 18). Herts Police

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Watford area's best and worst performing GPs for patient satisfaction

The 2024 GP Patient Survey has revealed where patients are most satisfied in and around Watford. People have once again had their say on services provided by their GPs in the NHS's annual assessment. The survey data is collated by asking patients

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M1 overnight closures as town centre set for week-long roadworks

A section of motorway near Watford is due to be shut to motorists overnight for roadworks and resurfacing works are set to cause disruption to town centre roads for a week. The northbound carriageway of the M1 from Junction 5 to Junction 6A is