Watford Observer

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 09:39:00 +0100
Teenage girl threatened and forced to perform sexual acts on unknown man in park
Police have launched an appeal after a teenage girl was "forced to perform sexual acts" on a man in Croxley Green.

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 09:34:55 +0100
Man wanted over armed robbery in Hertfordshire
Police have launched an appeal to find a man wanted in connection with an armed robbery in St Albans.

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0100
Save £500pp on Riviera’s Deal of the Week to Sri Lanka
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Thu, 23 Apr 2026 05:30:00 +0100
Four schools in Watford and nearby set to welcome new headteachers
Schools in Watford, Bushey and Rickmansworth have all confirmed the appointment of new headteachers.

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:22:25 +0100
What next for pupils after top-rated school announces shock closure this summer?
Neighbouring schools are working to support children facing Immanuel College's shock closure.

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 16:03:00 +0100
Watford boy, 15, arrested over 'knife possession and dangerous driving'
A teenager from Watford was arrested over alleged knife possession and dangerous driving as police seized a moped in Tolpits Lane.

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 16:02:51 +0100
Meeting set as neighbours object to premises licence for reopening village pub
The £1.2m project to reopen The Plough, Elstree, has been called in to a council meeting after neighbours objected to its licence to serve booze.

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 15:35:00 +0100
Big-name chicken shop given 0/5 hygiene score as 'urgent improvement' needed
Inspectors have awarded a damning 0/5 food hygiene rating to Hemel Hempstead's Peri Peri Original branch.

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 14:25:00 +0100
Area with £1.4m average price 'not a village anymore' amid 2,300 potential new homes
Radlett, which has a £1.4m average house price, could soon see a 70 per cent increase in the number of homes.

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 12:40:00 +0100
Watford-based business tops 'best places to work' list for second straight year
Watford-based Hilton has topped a list of the best big businesses to work for in Britain for a second straight year.

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0100
333-home 'disaster' plan by M25 dealt fresh blow by key objection
Plans for a new 333-home neighbourhood by the M25 between Rickmansworth and Chorleywood in Hertfordshire have ben dealt a blow following an objection from the highways authority.

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:24:00 +0100
New home could soon be built on land behind village green
Plans to build a new home on land by parking spaces behind The Green, Sarratt, have been submitted.

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0100
The Southern Cross pub looks set to reopen with new owners
One of Watford's most popular pubs appears set to reopen under new ownership.

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:30:00 +0100
Timeline of spate of arson attacks on Jewish sites including Watford arrests
A timeline of developments including arrests in Watford, Kings Langley, Stevenage and Harpenden after a series of attempted and planned arson attacks on the Jewish community.

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:59:46 +0100
Person dies after being hit by train on Hertfordshire route
A person has been hit by a train between Hitchin in Hertfordshire and Peterborough in Cambridgeshire this morning (April 22).

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:03:39 +0100
Fire shuts part of Hertfordshire M25 for more than TEN hours
A vehicle fire on the M25 in Hertfordshire last night (April 21) saw the motorway shut for more than ten hours near Kings Langley.

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0100
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Wed, 22 Apr 2026 05:31:00 +0100
Herts Police agree ‘£34k payout’ to man ‘thrown in cell over blog post’
Hertfordshire Police have apologised and agreed a payout to a man who says he was thrown into a jail cell because of a blog post.

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 05:30:00 +0100
Multiple closures at M25 and M1 Hertfordshire junction - starting tonight
Multiple overnight closures around the Hertfordshire M1 and M25 junction near Watford are planned soon.

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:04:00 +0100
Watford designer to appear on BBC show hosted by Alan Carr tonight
A professional dancer turned interior designer is to compete on series seven of Alan Carr's Interior Design Masters, which starts this evening (April 21).

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 16:35:00 +0100
Watford Tesco opening date CONFIRMED at former TGI Fridays site
Tesco is to open its new North Watford branch this Friday (April 24), taking over the former TGI Fridays unit in St Albans Road.

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 15:54:40 +0100
Second 'dangerous driving' arrest after three hospitalised in multi-car crash
Police have now confirmed a second man has been arrested over alleged dangerous driving after a crash hospitalised three between Watford and Rickmansworth.

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 15:37:28 +0100
Recap after M1 crash causes long delays in Hertfordshire
M1 motorway traffic has been stopped after a crash near Hemel Hempstead.

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 15:16:00 +0100
New Hertfordshire arrests made over planned arson attack on Jewish community
Seven more arrests have been made including three in Hertfordshire as police probe a series of arson attacks on Jewish sites in and around London.

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:25:00 +0100
'Just the beginning' - photos inside The Horns' lively reopening weekend
Lively photos from The Horns, Hempstead Road, Watford, reopening have been shared as the new owners make their mark.

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:55:00 +0100
Door to Jewish-owned Watford shop set alight in 'religiously aggravated arson attack'
The door to a Jewish-owned shop in Lower High Street, Watford was set on fire as graffiti was also left behind.

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:15:40 +0100
Highly-rated Hertfordshire country pub closes for refurb
A Hertfordshire country pub has closed for a refurb and is set to return on May 15.

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0100
Pub starting to really get going as full menu brought in after reopening
The reopened Horse and Chains pub in Bushey is starting to properly get going with a full new menu, design facelift, and wider range of beers.

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:24:15 +0100
The family-run Watford company that supplies hundreds of hospitals
Business Secretary Peter Kyle MP visited Sigma Pharmaceuticals' Imperial Way base with Watford MP Matt Turmaine to celebrate the family-run firm's decades of success.

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:13:19 +0100
'Queuing traffic' as road at Bushey Arches closed for repairs - recap
The AA is reporting "queuing traffic" amid a road closure for road repairs at the Bushey Arches roundabout.

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:50:08 +0100
Man with Watford links appears on new Herts Police 'most wanted' list
Police in Hertfordshire have shared a new list of the county's "most wanted" individuals, including a man with links to Watford.

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:20:00 +0100
The Hertfordshire areas with the most 1/5 and 0/5 hygiene ratings - from just 1 to 12
There is a huge variance in the number of businesses with 0/5 or 1/5 food hygiene ratings across Hertfordshire, with Watford having four.

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:04:21 +0100
Road closure extended AGAIN after months of delays
A months-long road closure in Bushey has been extended by another ten days, with motorists set to face more traffic misery.

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 09:13:05 +0100
Reopening date confirmed for much-loved independent café
Popular independent Croxley Green café Perch & Co is to reopen next week after a months-long closure.

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 09:00:00 +0100
HMO numbers soar 'by up to 70 per cent' within months in district - curbs planned
Stronger controls on HMO plans in Three Rivers are being sought as numbers have soared by up to 70 per cent.

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 08:00:00 +0100
Plans for three four-bedroom homes in village submitted
Plans to build three four-bedroom homes in Bovingdon have been submitted.

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0100
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Tue, 21 Apr 2026 05:30:00 +0100
Turning former bar and conservative club into 'religious education centre' approved
Turning a former bar and Conservative club into a religious education centre has been approved.

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 05:30:00 +0100
The highest‑rated restaurant in Hertfordshire with almost perfect reviews
A restaurant nestled inside a luxury Hertfordshire hotel, within easy reach of Watford, is currently rated as the county’s best place to eat.

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 05:30:00 +0100
'Unauthorised caravan sites' - latest with 3 ongoing Hertfordshire complaints
Enforcement complaints have gone relating to alleged unauthorised caravans at three sites in Flamstead, Loudwater, and Kings Langley.

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 18:32:43 +0100
Police 'increasingly concerned' for welfare of missing 24-year-old
Police are appealing for the public’s help to find a woman who has gone missing from South Oxhey.

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 18:25:00 +0100
Mansion could be demolished for 86-home scheme as plans submitted
Plans to build 86 homes on the expansive grounds of a Radlett mansion have been submitted.

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 18:00:00 +0100
Three badly hurt in multi-vehicle crash - man arrested over 'dangerous driving'
Three people were hospitalised with serious injuries after a crash between Watford and Rickmansworth.

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 16:21:24 +0100
50-minute delays after two Hertfordshire motorway crashes - recap
Two lanes of the M25 have been blocked after a crash near St Albans, Hertfordshire.

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:47:36 +0100
Wallaby on the loose spotted hopping around Hertfordshire village
A wallaby was spotted hopping around Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire.

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:15:00 +0100
Warner Bros. applies to expand real school teaching Harry Potter stars at studios
The real school teaching Harry Potter TV show stars at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden could soon get another floor.

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 13:15:00 +0100
Ex-footballer 'just as funny and friendly in real life' as he films advert in village
One of football’s biggest personalities, Micah Richards, was seen filming at a High Street barbers last week.

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:43:00 +0100
Street preacher arrested in Watford High Street
Herts Police have shared a statement after a street preacher was arrested in Watford High Street.

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0100
TfL strikes starting tomorrow - here is how they will affect Watford commuters
Some Watford commuters will be hit by disruption during TfL Tube strikes starting tomorrow.

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0100
First look inside leisure centre after £600k revamp
A £600,000 gym refurbishment at Watford Leisure Centre - Woodside by operator Everyone Active is now complete.

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