The chairman of Three Rivers District Council, Les Mead, attended a civic banquet and ball with other local dignitaries on Friday evening.

Mayor of St Albans, Annie Brewster, had invited the nine other mayors and chairmen of Hertfordshire, the High Sheriff and the Lord Lieutenant, to the event at Sopwell House, in St Albans.

The grand occasion had an attendance of around 350 people.

Civic receptions are an opportunity for a mayor to invite volunteers and others who have made a contribution and difference in their areas along, and thank them for their efforts.

It is also a chance to promote the mayor’s charities. In the case of St Albans’ mayor, Annie Brewster, she took the opportunity to give a speech and talk about her work with "The Living Room", which is a charity that exists to help break the cycle of addiction.