Almost 700 homes were given the go-ahead in just one night in October

Watford borough councillors debated four major applications at the town hall and all four were approved.

In Sydney Road in west Watford, 500 homes were approved in two separate applications.

A total of 10 tower blocks were given permission at the development management committee meeting

Meanwhile, 151 flats were unanimously granted permission at a site in Eastbury Road near Bushey.

A decision to introduce car parking charges at a popular park was described as a “sad day” for Watford.

Watford Borough Council's cabinet voted to bring in charges at Cassiobury Park.

It was decided that for the first time ever, visitors would have to pay to park in Gade Avenue car park, which would redesigned and improved to fit in 213 spaces; it currently has a capacity of 132.

A controlled explosion was carried out on a suspicious device after a ‘grenade’ was found in a parked car.

Police cordoned off an area in Holywell, Watford, on October 24 and called in a bomb disposal unit.

The activity centred around an address in Charlock Way, and Caractacus Green was also closed off by police.

There were unconfirmed reports from people living in the area that the device was a grenade that had been thrown into a car some days ago.

One of Watford’s most historic shops closed.

Clements in The Parade took the tough decision to shut its doors due to finances and dwindling trade.

Clements has a rich history in Watford. It opened in The Parade in 1898 and was at one point the biggest department store in town.

There is a popular belief that BBC sitcom Are You Being Served? was based on the shop.