Hertford's Focus DIY store in Ware Road has been bought by Wickes.

Following the collapse of the DIY chain, Wickes' parent company Travis Perkins has purchased 13 of the company's stores and will convert them to Wickes before the end of the year. This will bring the number of Wickes stores to 216 nationwide.

All staff at the store will be retained.

Hertford Museum have added a series of panoramic virtual tours to their website.

The tours cover ten locations on both the ground and first floors of the museum.

You can visit the reception, early museum display, temporary exhibition area and a wide variety of displays on the first floor.

The tours also feature clickable information balloons that provide more information about some of our exhibits.

Visit Hertford Museum's website at www.hertfordmuseum.org.

Police are appealing for witnesses and information after a four year-old boy was hit by a car on Friday afternoon.

The boy was knocked down by a black VW Passat around 5pm in The Ridgeway near to Heath Court.

He was taken to the Lister Hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the car and his passenger were uninjured.

Anyone who witnessed what happened is asked to call PC Dave Clarke on 0845 3300 222.

Two people from Hertford have been charged with drug dealing and money laundering, following arrests in December last year.

Dean Norris, 52, of Chelmsford Road, has been charged with eight offences of possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply, offering to supply a controlled drug and money laundering.

Sandra Burling, 47, also of Chelmsford Road, has been charged with three counts of permitting a premises to be used for the supply of drugs.

Both have been released on bail to appear before Hertford Magistrates Court on May 26.

Hertford's new Mayor Sally Newton was installed at a ceremony at Hertford Castle yesterday evening.

The Mayor represents the town at civic occasions, as well as at events held by the town's schools, clubs and charitable organisations.

Each year the Mayor of Hertford Appeal Fund raises money for one or two charities chosen by the Mayor each year. Money is raised for the fund during the course of the Mayoral year and divided between the charities at the end. Councillor Newton has chosen Herts Aid and Mind in Mid Herts for her charities for 2011/12.

Police are appealing for information and witnesses after a burglary at Serendipity Cafe in Bircherley Green during the early hours of Monday morning.

The break-in occurred between 12am and 4am on Monday, 16th May. The offender(s) gained entry to the rear of the property, carried out a search and made off with a safe which contained cash.

DC Neil Lancey is investigating and said: "I believe the offenders would have been in the property for some time, as the safe was attached to a wall. The shop is close to the river and I’d appeal to anyone who may have been moored up there or live close to it to contact me if they saw or heard something. It is also believed the offenders could have left via Bull Plain or Bircherley Green Bus Station and any sightings of suspicious persons or vehicles at those locations could help the police enquiry."

"I would also like to appeal for anyone who may have found the safe since the burglary."

Anyone with information should contact the police non-emergency number on 0845 33 00 222.

Poundstretcher opened in Maidenhead Street on Thursday, replacing the failed Alworths variety store.

The business bought 15 of the Alworths outlets in a deal with Administrators, securing most of the jobs at the store.

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A new men's hairdresser has opened in Railway Street.

Maxim Barber's offer "the art of traditional barbering from the Meditteranean", together with a hot towel and shave with cut throat razor, threading and flaiming.

The shop used to be occupied by Clayton's fishmongers but was more recently Body Healing Experience.

Hertford is the businesses second shop, the first having opened in Cheshunt in October 2009.

Town Clerk Nina Villa has attacked the closure of Hertford's Urgent Care Centre, claiming that the criteria for judging the centre's success was flawed.

The Town Clerk was part of an evaluation panel that recommended closure in February. The panel also included Town Council leader Linda Radford and Cllr.Dorothy Hone.

Ms.Villa claims that targets set by health bosses were unrealistic but that the panel were given no alternative but to use them.

In a letter to The Hertfodrshire Mercury, she says that she remains absolutely opposed to the closure, despite having no choice other than to agree that the centre did not meet the flawed pre-existing criteria.

The Conservative Party have maintained their grip on both the District and Town Councils.

They now hold 11 of the twelve seats on the Town Council, with just one Labour candidate returned from Hertford Sele. At District level, every councillor returned by the town was a Conservative.

As well as Labour and Conservative, there were two Independent candidates. The Liberal Democrats did not contest any of the seats.

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