Watford Observer

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 09:07:34 +0100
Key road closed AGAIN with disruption to last into November
A key road connecting two Hertfordshire villages is closed again, with disruption set to continue until the start of November.

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 08:14:14 +0100
Drug and weapon arrests made in Watford town centre crime crackdown
Arrests have been made over weapon possession and theft as part of a police crackdown on crime in Watford town centre.

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0100
Stunning Hertfordshire hotel The Grove named among world's best once again
The Grove hotel in Hertfordshire has been named among the best in the world as part of a new list.

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 05:30:00 +0100
How much it costs to live in the affluent Hertfordshire village loved by celebrities
Hertfordshire village Brookmans Park is loved by celebrities including Bukayo Saka and Alexandra Burke. Here's what it costs to live there.

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 05:28:00 +0100
Hertfordshire 'urban explorers' warned they could be guilty of 'burglary'
Hertfordshire Constabulary warns young urban explorers of dangers in abandoned buildings across Stevenage and Hertsmere, saying trespassing can be burglary.

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 09:29:18 +0100
700 homes coming to edge of Hemel as plans approved despite hundreds of objections
Permission has been granted for 700 homes to be built on green belt land off Berkhamsted Road on the northern edge of Hemel Hempstead.

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 17:15:00 +0100
Miles of gridlock after car smashes into A41 central reservation and catches fire
A vehicle went up in flames after smashing into the Hertfordshire A41’s central reservation, causing gridlock well into Hemel Hempstead.

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 16:35:00 +0100
Railway footbridge WILL be replaced this year after neighbours' protests
Oxhey walkers will be able to cross above the rail lines again before the year is out as Network Rail has announced a temporary footbridge.

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 15:58:44 +0100
Hertfordshire A41 shut as vehicle catches fire after crash - recap
The A41 northbound is believed to have been closed this afternoon as long delays are reported near Hemel Hempstead.

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 15:15:00 +0100
'Game changer' for football club as replacing pitch with artificial grass approved
Permission to replace a Oxhey Jets' pitch with artificial grass has been approved as part of a £1.3 million “game changer for the club”.

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 14:15:00 +0100
Months-long investigation into 'Watford heroin and cocaine network' sees 10 charged
Ten people have been charged over cocaine and heroin supply in Watford after a Herts Police probe.

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 13:45:00 +0100
Suspended sentence for voyeur who engaged in sexual activity in presence of child
A man from Bushey has been given a suspended jail sentence for engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and voyeurism.

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 11:36:49 +0100
Watford community to honour Armed Forces with Remembrance events
Watford Remembrance events begin October 23 with Luther Blissett launching the Poppy Appeal, followed by parades, a service and LGBTQ+ veterans’ wreath.

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 12:05:00 +0100
Pub group's Hertfordshire buying spree sees revenues jump
Punch Pubs has revealed a jump in revenues for the past year after snapping up Hertfordshire pubs including The Stag near Watford.

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 11:50:00 +0100
Community win as 'unauthorised caravan site works' must be removed
Caravan site works in Loudwater done with “blatant disregard for planning law” must be removed after an enforcement notice was served.

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 11:00:00 +0100
New 70-home estate to be built - despite councillors rejecting it two months ago
A 70-home estate in Oxhey has been approved just months after councillors rejected it.

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0100
Watford Town Centre brings seasonal family entertainment to the high street
Watford High Street transforms into a lively hub of entertainment whenever school holidays arrive, drawing families from across Hertfordshire into the centre of town.

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 09:12:27 +0100
Heavy Hertfordshire M25 traffic as lanes flood - recap
There is heavy traffic on the anticlockwise M25 between junctions 24 and 25 at the edge of Hertfordshire amid flooding today.

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 06:00:00 +0100
You Garden offers colourful shrubs with savings of up to £20 this week
Dubbed as the BEST hardy shrub for year-round colour, Nandina 'Fire Power' is on offer with You Garden this week.

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 05:30:00 +0100
Watford teen accused of robbing four people to appear in crown court
A Watford teenager will appear in Harrow Crown Court accused of robbing four people.

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 16:45:00 +0100
'Sexual assault' in town centre alleyway triggers CCTV witness appeal
A CCTV image has been shared after a reported sexual assault in an alleyway off Watford High Street.

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 16:25:00 +0100
'Horrific' flooding in Herts high street after contractors 'struck unmapped main'
Shenley Road, Borehamwood, has flooded after contractors struck a water main while replacing a sign.

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 16:00:08 +0100
Storm Austin to batter Hertfordshire with 55mph winds as weather warning issued
Hertfordshire is set to be hit by 55mph winds and heavy rain tomorrow with a yellow weather warning for Storm Austen issued.

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 15:15:00 +0100
Council 'out-of-touch' as motion to raise fly-tip fines to £5k maximum blocked
A motion to increase fly-tipping fines by more than eight times has been voted down by Watford Borough Council in a move labelled “complacent and out of touch”.

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 13:30:51 +0100
Shops blocked with sandbags as Hertfordshire high street floods - recap
Shenley Road, Borehamwood, has flooded with water from underground pipes - with businesses forced to bar entrances with sandbags.

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 12:05:00 +0100
Sewer repairs needed as road 'floods every time it rains'
Repeated flooding has sparked a full inspection after Cardiff Road, Watford, was left underwater again this week.

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 11:15:00 +0100
Why a helicopter circling and 'gunfire' sounds will be heard at night soon
Bovingdon residents may hear a helicopter circling overhead and “gunfire” sounds at night soon – here is why.

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 10:40:00 +0100
New caravan site plan submitted... a year after work already went ahead
Fresh plans for a caravan site have been submitted more than a year after work began in Hempstead Road, Kings Langley.

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 10:10:00 +0100
Hertfordshire closures during M1 maintenance programme this week
National Highways is carrying out M1 maintenance in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire this week, with a series of scheduled closures.

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 06:00:00 +0100
£300pp off Riviera's 13-night Thailand tour - hurry offer ends soon
Riviera Travel’s Deal of the Week: Soak up all that Europe’s most cultured river has to offer, with its wealth of grand Baroque architecture, medieval cities, picture-perfect towns and the sights that inspired Strauss and Mozart.

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 05:30:00 +0100
Community fear their 'safe space' will be destroyed if 280-home appeal succeeds
Bushey's horse-riding community are hoping their “safe space” will not be turned into a housing development as an appeal verdict looms.

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 17:30:04 +0100
Road closures and traffic restrictions planned across Watford area
Several temporary road closures and traffic restrictions are being introduced across the Watford, here are four to be aware of this week.

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 12:47:42 +0100
Trans man and wife from Watford expecting first baby using his frozen eggs and IVF
Watford trans man Taylor Winters and wife Chloe are expecting a baby girl after IVF using his frozen eggs, with their first child due in January 2027.

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 14:47:02 +0100
The pre-MOT cleaning mistakes that could expose a potential fail or advisory
A car cleaning expert has highlighted five commonly missed areas motorists should check before presenting a car for its MOT.

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 16:00:00 +0100
CCTV shared after men 'went from pub to pub looking to cause trouble'
A group of eight men reportedly went from pub to pub “looking to cause trouble” in Oxhey as CCTV shows “threatening behaviour”.

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 14:50:00 +0100
Man due in crown court over 'child sexual offences' after 'sting'
An Abbots Langley man is set to appear in crown court charged with child sexual offences.

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 14:40:00 +0100
Vehicle's tyres 'stabbed with knife' before home ransacked in private estate
All four tyres of a parked vehicle were reportedly stabbed with a knife before a home was ransacked the next day in Moor Park.

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 12:37:00 +0100
Sudden death of woman in Watford sparks police appeal
Detectives are appealing for information after Kelsey Smith, 36, died suddenly in Watford.

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 18:35:00 +0100
Hertfordshire's best and worst Wetherspoon pubs based on Google Reviews
A new study has revealed the UK’s best and worst-rated Wetherspoon pubs — and how Hertfordshire’s pubs compare.

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0100
'Distressed' visitors 'lucky not to get trapped overnight' after aquadrome locked
No action will be taken after visitors were almost locked inside Rickmansworth Aquadrome overnight, Three Rivers District Council has said.

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 10:45:00 +0100
Flat and house shut down amid 'persistent antisocial behaviour'
Herts Police have shut down two Bushey properties after neighbours’ woes with anti-social behaviour.

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 09:30:00 +0100
Found: Public urged to look out for missing 13-year-old girl
Members of the public have been urged to keep an eye out as a 13-year-old girl from South Oxhey is missing.

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 06:00:00 +0100
Caroline Gardner socks half price at SockShop in seasonal offer
It’s officially sock season!

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 05:30:00 +0100
Temple pleads for more time ahead of building sale deadline tomorrow
Watford Velmurugan Temple has pleaded for more time to fundraise with just over 24 hours left to try and buy its building.

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 14:36:37 +0100
Watford education provider helps attendance rise from 22 per cent to 78 per cent
Watford MP Matt Turmaine visits Nisai Learning, supporting SEND pupils and others facing school barriers through live online education.

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 14:24:02 +0100
The Zombies to reunite with fans at St Albans festival and cathedral concert
The Zombies’ Begin Here Festival returns to St Albans from October 30 to November 1, with a cathedral concert, fan events and band meet-and-greets.

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 14:12:01 +0100
Employers back T Levels to prepare young people for skilled careers
Willmott Dixon and Ringway support West Herts College Group T Levels, giving students industry placements, workplace skills and routes into apprenticeships.

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 14:03:29 +0100
Hertfordshire schools urged to delay smartphone access in county-wide pledge
Hertfordshire’s Bricks for 26 pledge urges schools and families to delay smartphones, reduce online harm and improve children’s digital wellbeing from 2027/28.

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 13:55:58 +0100
FREE Watford museum event to reveal the Victorian origins of Christmas
Explore Victorian Christmas traditions at the Museum of Watford’s free family event in Cassiobury Park on November 28, with crafts, games and history.

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 13:13:46 +0100
£2.1m Northwood flat comes with private gym and two underground parking spaces
Luxury three-bedroom flat for sale at £2.1m in Northwood’s Wildacre development, with private gym, parking and direct Underground links to central London.

home