A scheme protecting the country's thousands of historical sites has been running for one year.

Heritage Watch was launched by Hertfordshire Constabulary in 2014 with the support of Historic England and Hertfordshire County Council, launched Heritage Watch.

The project was introduced at key heritage sites and museums including at The de Havilland Aircraft Museum in London Colney and St Albans Cathedral.

Richard Watson, sub dean at St Albans Cathedral, said: "Unfortunately, we have experienced crime at St Albans Cathedral which damaged parts of the building which are often irreplaceable.

"We were very happy to support the launch of Heritage Watch last year and continue to do so.

"With the help of the police and the public St Albans Cathedral can be protected and preserved for future generations to come and I would therefore encourage anyone who lives in the local area to join the scheme."

Heritage crime is any offence which targets our historic environment and cultural property. Through Heritage Watch, the Constabulary is able to further protect the county’s historical artefacts and heritage sites by improving communication between people who live near these sites, those who have an interest in the county’s heritage and the police.

The Constabulary’s Chief Constable, Andy Bliss, is the National Policing lead for Heritage Crime. He said: "We were very proud to be the second force in the country to introduce Heritage Watch and I would like to thank those who have joined the scheme so far. "It’s so important that we do what we can to tackle heritage and cultural property crime effectively to protect Hertfordshire’s historical and cultural assets for future generations. I would encourage anyone who lives close to an historical site, or who has a real interest in our local history, to sign up to the scheme to become the ‘guardians’ of these precious sites and artefacts and report anything suspicious to police."

Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, David Lloyd said: "I am delighted to continue to support Heritage Watch as it helps the Constabulary and the public to protect our precious heritage for future generations.

“Believe that protecting our heritage is everybody’s business and getting everyone involved in keeping Hertfordshire safe and secure is a key part of my plan. Hertfordshire’s beautiful heritage sites and assets are a key part of what make this place so special - and I intend to keep it that way."