cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/26078672

Plans for the installation of a Tardis-style police box in Watford town centre have been submitted.

The planning application the temporary structure has been added to the Watford Borough Council planning portal this week.

If approved, it would be installed between Metro Bank and the entrance to atria Watford at the High Street/Queen’s Road junction.

The area has apparently been identified as a “hotspot” for crime and anti-social behaviour, with regular reports of thefts and violent crime.

“The temporary installation of the police box is a part of a pilot project initiated by Hertfordshire Constabulary to reduce crime in hotspot areas,” the planning statement added.

“If proven successful, installation in additional locations and ‘permanent’ structures may be further explored.”

...

Documents added that a 35 per cent reduction in crime and anti-social behaviour in the immediate ar

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/25145325

A Baldock resident is "convinced" that a big cat is roaming the fields and countryside near the town, after revealing he has seen a "big black animal" on a number of occasions.

Danny Boar has had a number of experiences at Buffs Field, close to where he lives, starting four years ago when he had an unexplainable experience late one night.

"I used to babysit my granddaughter so I got home around about midnight and I took the dog out and walked in a straight line across the field to this big lamppost," he recalled.

"I would let her go to the toilet, sniff around in the bushes and then walk back, but this particular night I got halfway across the field and she wasn't with me, which was strange because she'd always walk in front me.

"I looked around she'd stopped, so I walked over to the lamppost, called her over and she wouldn't move.

"There was then this rustling in the bushes next to me, and all

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/19492310

The UK's largest mobile, inflatable planetarium has been stolen from the University of Hertfordshire.

The so-called Cosmodrome was being kept in a trailer by the observatory in Bayfordbury near Hertford.

It is used to teach schoolchildren about space and also appears at music festivals.

The university said it was "utterly heartbroken" and wanted the public to keep their eyes peeled for the inflatable.

The portable planetarium is roughly the size of a house and can fit 100 people inside.

It uses light, sound and tactile experiences to host shows, lectures, and audio-visual art.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/7616190

An inspector who sold his police trousers for £4 online has had his rank reduced after being found guilty of gross misconduct at a hearing.

Owen Hurley of Hertfordshire Police admitted he sold the item on Vinted, a second-hand selling app.

He told the misconduct hearing the trousers had been in his wardrobe at home for "a long time" and he wanted to "make space" after redecorating.

Mr Hurley was reduced to the rank of sergeant, effective immediately.

The trousers were spotted and reported to the force by a member of the public in summer 2023.

At the hearing on Tuesday Mr Hurley described the sale as "a mistake."

He confirmed the trousers did not bear a police logo or insignia, but admitted the listing on Vinted indicated they were police issue.

Chief Constable Charlie Hall found the former inspector had ordered two new pairs of police trousers in January 2023, which were the

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