Police will be mounting extra patrols over Halloween and Bonfire Night.

Jon Speed, Chief Inspector for East Herts, said: " incidents of anti-social behaviour are traditionally slightly higher at this time of the year, we have plans in place to ensure incidents can be dealt with accordingly. A lot of work has been done in the run up to Halloween and Bonfire night, we don’t want to spoil anyone’s fun and we hope that everyone has a good time."

There will also be a crackdown on the sale of firework to underage people.

Police and partners in Hertford and Ware have also organised a Halloween concert with local schools as a diversionary event to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour as well as 'showcasing' the schools’ bands to a wider audience.

"Dawn Of The Dead Cool" takes place at Castle Hall on Saturday 31st October.

A new bag and boot shop named Butterfly has opened in Fore Street opposite Millets.

The shop has been empty for a number of years, having last been a jewellers.

A black Vauxhall Tigra has been abandoned outside Specsavers in Bircherley Green.

The vehicle has been reported to police and has already attracted a penalty notice from parking attendants.

Hartham Leisure Centre have unveiled their new gym, after the completion of the first stage of a £1.6m refurbishment.

The new gym is currently twice the size of the old gym and will eventually offer three times as much space when it is completed in January.

The old gymn is to be converted to a dance studio that will also offer pilates, yoga and aerobics.

The cost of refurbishment has been shared between the District Council and SLM, who run the centre under contract.

Cole Porter musical Anything Goes opened this evening at Castle Hall.

Hertford Dramatic & Operatic Society are staging the musical at 7:30pm every evening until Saturday, with a 3pm matinee on the last day.

Directed by Malcolm Hollow, the show revolves around the antics on board a cruise ship sailing from New York to London.

Tickets cost £14 (£12 for the matinee) and are available from the Castle Hall box office on 01992 531500.

An interactive crime map of the county shows that crime has increased in all areas of Hertford, except Sele Farm, which saw a drop of 14%.

The map shows crime rates from July to September 2009, compared to the same period last year.

Hertford Kingmead saw the biggest rise in overall crime, up 110% compared to last year, with a spate of burglaries during the Summer.

Hertford Castle, which includes much of the town centre, saw a 22% increase in anti-social behaviour. The level of violent crime was also up from 63 incidents to 76. The overall level of crime for the ward was above average compared to the rest of the county.

hertfordshire.crimemapper.co.uk

The doors of Hertford Castle, a Grade 1 listed building, will be open to the public tomorrow, with the opportunity to glimpse into civic life and browse at your leisure. Tour guides will be on hand to offer additional information.

The Hertford and Civic Life Exhibition will feature local history, the story of The Castle, the Town Regalia, Town Robes, treasures, documents and interesting photographs.

Activities include face painting, magic nails, a colouring competition, 'Passport to Hertford Castle' and Castle quiz.

Hertford Town Council have produced an analysis of outlets in the town centre, showing that just 6 per cent of the 262 units surveyed are empty.

Unsurprisingly, restaurants, bars and pubs make up the largest sectors, with 15% of outlets.  Hair and beauty salons follow closely behind on 13%, with finance and personal services also making up 13%.

Clothes and shoe shops represent 7%, whilst food and drink outlets make up just 3%.

Commenting on the analysis, Cllr.Jane Sartin said "This survey demonstrates how diverse our town centre is".

A number of men were arrested in Hertford yesterday after co-ordinated early morning drugs raids.

Officers detained a 24 year-old man at a property in Pearson Avenue on suspicion of drug possession. A large amount of cash and what is believed to be Class A drugs were seized.

Two further arrests were made on the Sele Farm Estate in Hutton Close and Farm Close.

Nearby in Waterford a 27 year old man was arrested on suspicion of robbery in connection with an offence that occurred in Fleming Crescent in Hertford in August.

Detective Inspector Neil Waring lead the operation and said: “I hope this sends a clear message to offenders that we will relentlessly pursue them.

“Those involved in drugs and associated crime are in the minority and people living in East Herts can be reassured that it is a safe place and this operation has been successful in helping to make the area even safer.”

The local NHS trust has opened an Urgent Care Centre at Hertford County Hospital.

The new service treats minor injuries and ailments such as fractures, scalds and bleeding.

The centre is designed to treat around 65% of patients who would otherwise go to a typical A&E department.

Open from 8.00am to 8.00pm, seven days a week, the new urgent care centre is accessed on a walk-in basis. People do not need to have an appointment to use the service – they can just walk-in. If an ambulance has been called, the paramedics will assess the seriousness of the patient’s condition in order to decide if they need to be taken to A&E or the urgent care centre.

The scheme is being piloted for 12 months to gauge demand for the service.

www.hertfordurgentcarecentre.nhs.uk