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1 week ago | 
watfordobserver.co.uk | Anahita Hossein-Pour |Liam Fitzpatrick
The government is preparing to introduce new legislation. (Image: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire/Herts Police/Canva) New powers for judges to punish criminals who refuse to attend their sentencing hearings sends a “clear message” that offenders cannot “opt out” of justice, victims’ families have said.
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4 weeks ago | 
watfordobserver.co.uk | Fintan McGuinness |Liam Fitzpatrick
The queue outside The LP Café at around 5am on Saturday morning. (Image: The LP Café) Music fans queued from 4am to grab limited edition vinyl as Watford enjoyed Record Store Day festivities. The international event was held on Saturday, April 12, and celebrated at venues across the town centre. This included hundreds of exclusive records being made available at The LP Café on a first-come-first-served basis from 8am – which drew the early morning queues in The Parade.
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Feb 12, 2025 | 
watfordobserver.co.uk | DeboRah Price |Deborah Price |Liam Fitzpatrick
Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service is ‘good’ at responding to major incidents, but ‘inadequate’ at preventing fires and other risks, according to an inspection report published earlier this week. The report is based on His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Service's (HMICFRS) 12-week inspection that assessed performance in 11 different areas of the service’s work.
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Jan 17, 2025 | 
watfordobserver.co.uk | Liam Fitzpatrick
The parent has been ordered to pay more than £1,000. (Image: PA/Canva) A parent has been ordered to pay costs totalling over £1,000 after their child regularly failed to attend a Watford secondary school. Court documents show that the pupil at Parmiter's School in Garston failed to attend regularly between January 1 and April 26 of last year.
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Jan 17, 2025 | 
watfordobserver.co.uk | Liam Fitzpatrick
The road will be closed for much of next week. (Image: Google Street View/Canva) A stretch of the A41 in Watford is to be closed overnight for much of next week, with motorists warned to expect delays. Part of North Western Avenue are scheduled to shut from 10pm on Monday, January 20, until 5am on Friday to enable repair works to a pumping station, according to One Network.
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Jan 17, 2025 | 
watfordobserver.co.uk | Liam Fitzpatrick
The ground floor of Eclipse House had been eyed for housing. (Image: Google Street View) Plans for part of a Watford office building to be turned into flats have been shot down by planning officers. Applicant SSSL and agent GC Planning Partnership Ltd had been seeking to turn the ground floor of Eclipse House in Sandown Road into four homes, only for the borough council to deny them prior approval for a change in use.
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Jan 17, 2025 | 
watfordobserver.co.uk | Liam Fitzpatrick
Three people have been arrested. (Image: Herts Police/Canva) Three men have been arrested after a teenage boy was the victim of an attempted kidnapping in Bushey yesterday afternoon (January 16). Police were called to Harcourt Road yesterday at around 2.40pm, following reports of a man being threatened with a knife inside the Tesco Express supermarket.
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Jan 17, 2025 | 
watfordobserver.co.uk | Liam Fitzpatrick
A homeowner has responded after a row erupted over the demolition of a property without planning permission. Three Rivers District Council confirmed that on Wednesday (January 15) it served an enforcement notice to the owner of the property in Valley Walk, Croxley Green. In December, neighbours raised the alarm after the property was torn down - despite planning permission (granted October 31, 2024) only being given for the garage at the side of the building to be demolished and replaced.
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Jan 16, 2025 | 
watfordobserver.co.uk | Liam Fitzpatrick
2024 was a positive year for Watford's Canvas nightclub. (Image: Vikki Aitchison/Canva) The manager of a Watford town centre nightclub is bullish about the coming year following a positive 2024. Vikki Aitchison is the general manager of Canvas, one of the high street's remaining clubs following the closure of Pryzm last January.
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Jan 16, 2025 | 
watfordobserver.co.uk | Liam Fitzpatrick
Honeybun opened its doors at the end of December. (Image: Honeybun/Canva) A new burger and dessert restaurant has opened, promising a "healthier" alternative to the usual fare. Amir and San Pardes, both 29, opened Honeybun in Chorleywood at the end of December - an American-style eatery that offers burgers and chicken, as well as a range of desserts and bubble tea. San told the Watford Observer: "We're just a few weeks in but it's been quite pleasant so far.
