Hertfordshire police have dropped an investigation into one of the recent attempted robberies around Cassiobury Park in Watford.

Three robberies and four attempted robberies last month – most of which were over a three-day period – saw pupils told to travel in pairs as a number of victims were “secondary school age”.

One 18-year-old was arrested following a knifepoint robbery in Cassiobury Park by five masked males, but no further arrests have been made.

And Herts police have now confirmed that their investigation into one of the linked attempted robberies has come to a halt, with a spokesperson saying that, unless new information comes to light, "all possible lines of enquiry have been exhausted".

It relates to an attempted robbery around 11am on June 11, when a man stopped somebody in the park before reportedly demanding their phone and assaulting them. 

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Two other investigations had already been dropped, meaning only four of the seven linked robberies are still being investigated.

Many of the incidents saw male suspects with face coverings demanding mobile phones, while two - including the one with an arrest - reportedly involved a knife or bladed weapon.

Six of the attacks happened over a three-day period – June 11 to 13 – and ranged from being at Cassiobury Park to nearby Shepherds Road and Cassiobury Park Avenue.

The other attack was on June 3 in Shepherds Road, where eight teenage males wearing dark tracksuits approached the victim and demanded their phone. The victim refused and was assaulted before they fled.

The sole arrest so far relates to an incident in Cassiobury Park at around 5.30pm on Thursday, June 13. A gang of five masked males demanded the victim, aged in his 30s, hand over his phone.

Police officers scoured the area and recovered a knife before arresting the 18-year-old man, from Surrey, on suspicion of attempted robbery and possession of an offensive weapon. He has since been released on bail while investigations continue.

Detective Sergeant Sarah Hern, from the Watford Local Crime Unit, previously said: “I appreciate these incidents will be alarming to our local community. A number of the victims who have been targeted are of secondary school age.

"I would like to reassure parents, guardians, students and members of the public that we are doing everything we can to trace all those involved. We have increased our police presence in the area and are liaising with other relevant partners.”