As November began, a former school governor heavily criticised in a Government report into “misuse of funds” at an academy trust blasted the findings as “nonsense”.

Paul Rosen, who stepped down as chairman of governors at Westfield Academy in Watford in December 2017, disputed “significant weaknesses” in financial management and governance at the school found by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).

The agency received anonymous allegations in August and September 2017 relating to misuse of school funds and assets, non-compliance with procurement processes, abuse of position and lack of transparency surrounding financial information.

But a police investigation found no crimes had been committed.

A couple out on their routine dog walk found a rusty hand grenade in the woods.

Mike Bentley, 61, and his wife, Debbie, were taking six-year-old Jake for a walk near Tunnel Wood Road, Watford, on Tuesday when they noticed something “unusual” on the ground.

It turned out the device was a World War II explosive and once police cordoned off the scene, just yards from homes, bomb disposal experts carried out a controlled explosion at nearby Orchard Park.

A teenager was taken to hospital after he was stabbed in a town centre attack on November 7.

Police, including armed officers, were called to The Parade, Watford, at 5.40pm, where they found a 19-year-old with stab wounds.

Officers cordoned off Tops Pizza at the Rickmansworth Road end of The Parade.

Police arrested a 17-year-old from Colindale in connection with the stabbing that evening and detained a 19-year-old after a second arrest the following morning.

People around south Hertfordshire took part in events marking 100 years since the end of the First World War.

Tributes to the many servicemen and women from the town who fought and died during the conflict were paid by both the community and those in public office.

The Observer published a special series of features on how the war had affected the area.

Health commissioners looked set to fine West Herts Hospitals Trust, which runs Watford General Hospital, around £888,000 a month – because its waiting times are too high.

NHS targets state 92 per cent of patients should receive treatment within 18 weeks of referral, but the figure for West Herts was 85 per cent - and 92 patients had been waiting for more than a year.

Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group was set to impose financial ‘sanctions’ of around £500,000 a month, with the first set at £888,000.

A trust spokesperson said: “The financial penalties have not yet been levied by the CCG and we are in discussion with them about how money from potential fines could be used to good effect to alleviate elective and emergency pressures.”

A family paid tribute to a “caring, jolly” teenager who was killed in Cambridge.

Benyamin Hussain, 18, pictured, died in hospital following what police have described as a fight outside the Grand Arcade in the early hours of November 15.

Cambridgeshire Police were treating the incident as murder.

Benyamin, a former Watford Boys Grammar pupil, had been visiting a friend and had been on a night out when he was assaulted.

A fundraising page has been set up in honour of Benyamin, who lived in Hagden Lane, Watford. More than £6,000 was raised for the Muslim Charity and the Heart Foundation in honour of Benyamin.

And protestors staged a demonstration outside a talk by conspiracy theorist David Icke.

Members of Watford Labour Party, Momentum and the Jewish Labour Movement gathered outside the Colosseum theatre to protest against Mr Icke’s appearance, part of his Everything You Need to Know tour.

Chris Ostrowski, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Watford, slammed the Colosseum – owned by Watford Borough Council – for hosting Mr Icke.

He described the writer’s views as “anti-Semitic and offensive” – although Mr Icke has always denied anti-Semitism.