The Berkhamsted and Hemel Hempstead Hockey Club men’s first XI picked up a good win after a hard-fought encounter with Letchworth II.

Berko started the game well and took a deserved lead when James Barron slammed the ball home, but Letchworth levelled things up before half-time.

Further goals from Pete Allam and Barron, either side of a second Letchworth equaliser, earned the win.

The men’s 2s, meanwhile shared a 0-0 stalemate with Luton, while the thirds suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Royston.

Elsewhere, the men’s fourths were hit by a smash-and-grab 2-0 defeat by Winchmore Hill & Enfield.

Berko dominated proceedings from start to finish, but were continually thwarted by an excellent goalkeeper.

It was better news for the men’s fifth XI, however, as they swept to a 3-0 victory over Letchworth VI.

The Berko goals came from Ed Holderness (2) and Charlie Gray, while Ben Evers was named man of the match.

In other action, the ladies’ first team continued their unbeaten start to the season with a convincing 5-2 win away at Rickmansworth.

A brace for Abi Lawlor and a goal apiece for Claire Barrett Mold, Kate Hudson and Molly Beard completed the scoring.

The ladies’ 2s also won well, beating Bedford 2-0 with a brace from player of the match Lucy Carmody.

It’s my habit, as a helpful sort with an eye to the greater good, to make the occasional suggestion to a hard-pressed Chancellor of the Exchequer about possible untapped revenue streams which could, if properly addressed, add a handy little windfall to our communal coffers.

So for the benefit of Mr Osborne and anyone else who might be cocking an ear for my latest brainwave, here goes...

There’s been a lot of tetchy comment in the public prints of late about multinational corporations who manage, entirely legally, to wiggle out of paying more than a pittance in tax in the UK even though they happily trouser handsome profits from the likes of you and me.

How can we stop such practices, people have asked, having obviously decided that an appeal to the better nature of the bean counters who came up with these crafty schemes in the first place will fall on stony ground.

My idea, for want of a better name, is to create a corporate WIM levy which will not only raise money, but also help to address one of the most insidious aspects of modern life.

What does WIM stand for, you ask? It stands for Word Inflation Multiplier, and this is how it would work:

Any commercial organisation would be deemed to have a civic duty to be as concise and accurate with its published material as it could be.

And it stands to reason that any which wilfully used more words than necessary would be guilty of word inflation, and should pay for their profligacy.

For example, if you were trundling along the motorway behind a truck which boasted to the world that it was involved in integrated transport solutions, that’s a WIM factor of three – transport was all you needed to know, and even that’s debatable.

Add up all the trucks in that particular company’s fleet, multiply by three and send them a bill. Kerching!

Once you start looking for examples, they’re all over the place.

Just think how much money would be due to the taxman from a firm which foisted upon its customers a bag full of Hand Fried Fully Mature West Country Cheddar and Organic Sliced Red Onion Potato Crisps when all we really needed to know was Cheese & Onion.

And that would be just the start of it – we wouldn’t have to draw the line at packaging and signage.

Just think how much dross there is in any letter, solicited or otherwise, from a major organisation.

Go through a few of them with a keen eye and you’ll soon raise enough to re-open a hospital ward – and let’s not pretend that government communicators are not among the main offenders here.

However, I am not proposing that we should set up Ofword or similar quango to monitor the use of language by captains of industry – there’s a whole regiment of nitpickers like me who would be willing to act as watchdogs for nothing if we thought we were kicking the fat cats where it hurt.

That’s assuming, of course, that said fat cats were not willing to offer me a substantial consultacy fee and were willing to take my advice on how they could cut down on their vain verbosity.

Hannah Stephenson follows in the footsteps of Bradley Wiggins and enjoys some much-needed sunshine on this popular island.

With the Tour de France and an Olympic gold medal under his belt from London 2012, life is looking sunny for British hero Bradley Wiggins.

Yet he has the unlikely training ground of the holiday island of Tenerife to thank, at least in part, for his victories, as this is where he does some of his training.

While we were all suffering the incessant spring rain, you could find him at The Parador in Teide National Park, at the foot of Mount Teide, the dormant volcano where such films as Planet Of The Apes and Clash Of The Titans have been shot.

This desert of solidified igneous rock provided the high altitude and thin air Wiggins needed to train, bearing in mind the famous French race takes in some of Europe’s highest passes. That, coupled with tough mountain climbs and some training at sea level, also gave the celebrated cyclist the perfect terrain to help him clinch gold.

While the largest of the Canary Islands, off the north-west coast of Africa, has long been branded a summer party island and a winter haven for the retired, it’s now taken on a sporting edge, thanks to a number of initiatives aimed at those who want to keep fit rather than get fat on holiday.

While culture vultures may venture to Santa Cruz, the island’s capital in the north-east of the island, to take in the museums, Tenerife Opera House and the impressive harbour, the weather up there can be unreliable so sports nuts may be better off expending their energy in the sunshine in the south.

We travel to Playa de la Arena, near to Los Gigantes, a relatively unspoilt resort on the west coast, so-called because of the spectacular giant cliffs (Los Gigantes) which fringe the Atlantic Ocean and make our home-grown cliffs at Dover pale into insignificance.

There, the sports can begin. From Los Gigantes we catch a taxi to Masca, a picturesque village whose houses perch precariously on narrow ridges of dramatic rock formations.

Reputed to have been a pirate hideaway, it has become the well-trodden starting point for serious walkers making their way down the barranco (ravine) on the two-hour journey through dramatic scenery to the sea, where we take a much-needed swim before catching a water taxi back to Los Gigantes.

The hike proves an ideal way to avoid piling on the pounds on our return to the substantial buffet at the all-inclusive Holiday Village Tenerife, where we’re staying nearby. Spanish delicacies including serrano ham, lenguado a la plancha (griddled sole), paella, papas arrugadas (baby potatoes covered in salt), mojo (a local sauce) and aioli (garlic mayonnaise) are served, alongside more familiar European dishes.

After eating, the only activity we’re fit for is splashing around in the beautiful heated pools, but swimming teams and individuals including Team GB’s Olympic medallist Rebecca Adlington do more intense training at the two Olympic-sized pools on the south west of the island.

“What makes Tenerife special is the weather - you have year-round sunshine - and the facilities, which are among the best in Europe,” says Steven Mellor, former Olympic Games swimming finalist who runs Sports Abroad, which arranges sports training camps for clubs and groups throughout Europe.

The T3 sports centre in La Caleta provides the winter training ground for rugby teams including Warrington Wolves and London Irish, while the island has also hosted training for premiership football teams including Everton and Manchester City.

Further south in Los Cristianos, there’s another Olympic pool which is open to the public, so you could try your hand at fast-lane swimming to burn up those calories.

While most tourists soak up the sun on the various beaches fringing Tenerife, professional sportspeople head to the headquarters of the Spanish national beach volleyball team at La Caleta, home to the first professional beach volleyball facility in the Canary Islands.

Hotels are also encouraging youngsters to become more active. At our Holiday Village, my 13-year-old son had both fun and was challenged during a football camp at the hotel’s own astro-turf pitch, while keen climbers could try their skills on the Go Ape-style high rope assault course within the grounds.

Scuba diving has also become big in Tenerife, but we are happy to take the bus to Alcala, a few miles down the coast, to an out-of-the-way cove where, if you’re lucky, you’ll see sea turtles and can snorkel to spot giant sea snails, dorada, barracuda and other interesting aquatic life. Unfortunately, we don’t see the turtles that day but the snorkelling is still fun.

While the nearest we come to surfing is taking the lilo out on the relatively calm beach at Los Gigantes, hardcore surfers head for the windy resort of El Medano, near the southern airport, where challenging waters test windsurfers and kiteboarders to their limits and the resort played host to the Kiteboard World Tour in 2010.

Other water-bound sport can be found at the island’s newest water park, Siam Park, which boasts the biggest artificial wave pool in the world, which can reach up to 3m high. It’s great fun catching the waves in a controlled environment, where the surrounding beach is created with tons of silky white sand imported from Portugal. Discerning thrill-seekers can have surfing lessons in the wave pool after closing time.

While Tenerife has changed beyond recognition since I worked as a rep there more than 20 years ago, with new hotels and apartments springing up along the coast, the extensive banana plantations remain, along with the indomitable Mount Teide, the highest mountain on Spanish territory and the world’s third highest volcano at 12,200ft, which on a clear day you can see from the coast in all its rugged glory.

It last erupted in 1909 and most tourists like us opt for the easy excursion, taking the coach and then the cable car to the viewing point. You’ll need a pre-arranged permit if you want to take the 40-minute walk uphill right to the top beyond the cable car stopping point, as access is severely limited to preserve the tip of the mountain.

For those who want a harder workout, hikers armed with sunblock and water can start in the middle of the crater and take a five-hour walk to the cable car. There are also night trails when you can be engulfed in the still and calm of this immense volcanic crater.

Bradley Wiggins may have pushed himself to the limit at the foot of Teide, but keen non-competitive cyclists can take the trail along the Afur Valley from the northern resort of Puerto de la Cruz, stopping to admire the fantastic views, quiet roads and remote villages on the way to La Orotava.

For those just wanting to get from A to B without a car, there are plenty of bikes for hire around the island, enabling the visitor to escape the tourist coast on two wheels.

So, Tenerife isn’t just a party paradise or haven for the retired. It’s a sunny stop-over for the sporty set too.

Key facts: Tenerife

Best for: Escaping the British rain to indulge in sports including hiking, biking and windsurfing.

Don’t miss: The fantastic views from the top of the cable car at Mount Teide.

Need to know: There can be snow on Teide in winter so check weather reports to ensure roads are open.

Don’t forget: A water bottle, sunscreen and your fleece if you’re doing high-altitude exercise.

Travel facts

Hannah Stephenson was a guest of Thomson Holidays, which offers seven nights’ all-inclusive at four star Holiday Village Tenerife, a summer-only resort, from £569, with return flights ex-Gatwick in mid-October. Reg deps incl Manchester (£699) and East Midlands (£804).

For reservations call 0871 230 2555 or visit www.thomson.co.uk

Hospitals in west Herts are spending £10.13 a day on food for each patient compared with a national average of £8.77.

NHS figures show the biggest spending hospital – Barts and the London NHS Trust – spent £15.65 a day on food per patient and the lowest – Newham University Hospital NHS Trust – just £2.19.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced a drive to improve the quality of hospital food.

He said: “Patients need high quality, nutritious food – this is a crucial part of their care, particularly for older patients.”

Five years ago West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust provoked outcry when it emerged it spent just £1.96 per day – the lowest in the country.

AFC Dunstable 1
 Berkhamsted 3

A depleted Berkhamsted side recorded arguably their best result of the season as they saw off fourth-placed AFC Dunstable at Creasey Park.

Lewis Pritchard bagged a brace and Myles Stephenson was also on target as the Comrades cruised to the convincing win.

And Berko boss Mick Vipond was understandably delighted with his team’s display.

“We played some great football and we could have scored more than the three we did,” he said.

“I was disappointed to concede the goal but that’s just me.

“It’s no surprise to me that we did well – we’ve been playing some good football for weeks now and maybe not getting the results.

“It’s all been very positive and we’ve finally got the result that we deserved.

“We could have gone there and set up defensively but we were brave in that regard and we went 4-4-3 and had a go at them.”

Despite missing Danny Power and Jordan Frederick through single match suspensions, and having a handful of other players unavailable or injured, Vipond’s side produced a good display and were worthy winners.

Josh Chamberlain was forced off injured early on, but his replacement Lewis Pritchard came off the bench to great effect as he beat his man on the right and unleashed a left-footed shot to put Berko in front in the 14th minute.

The home side equalised just before the half-time whistle with a goal by Ryan Smith, but recent Berko signing Myles Stephenson finished off a fine move to put the Comrades back in front early in the second half.

Pritchard made it 3-1 with his second goal of the afternoon in the 73rd minute, and Berko saw out the remainder of the game confidently to take the three points.

At the time the Gazette went to press, Berko were heading back to Dunstable to take on MSSML Premier Division leaders Dunstable Town.

The Comrades currently sit in ninth place in the division.

It’s just over a week away from this year’s Berko Unplugged – a showcase of the town’s young music and dance talent.

The show will feature the likes of bands Comrade Cycle and The Man’s Machine, Michael Jackson song dancer Dan Elliman, 15, and 15-year-old solo singers Laura Hughes and Amelia Cochrane.

Dan said: “When he announced he was going to do a tour, I started to get really into Michael Jackson and learning his dances from Youtube.

“First I learned the moonwalk and it sort of grew from there. It was hard to begin with, but when you get into the swing of it a lot of his moves are quite similar.”

Comrade Cycle will perform Hold The Night from their debut album, expected to be released next year.

The Man’s Machine, fresh from opening the town’s BerkoFest music and comedy festival in September, will perform songs from their new album Marble Places.

Rhythm guitarist Charlie Dufficy, 16, said: “We are trying to make our way in the tough graft that is the music industry.

“But we do enjoy making music and playing songs. It’s one of our favourite hobbies. We love playing.”

Berko Unplugged will be at Berkhamsted School’s Centenary Hall in Kings Road from 7.30pm to 10.30pm on Saturday, November 10.

Tickets are £8 for adults and £6 for students and all funds will go to the town’s Swan Youth Centre.

Charlie said: “It’s all to raise funds for the Swan Youth Centre, a beautiful place – it’s like my second home.”

Berko Unplugged is in its third year, and it last year raised £1,700 for the centre.

Centre coordinator Clare Muir said: “Seeing all the young people performing and the talents they all have is just so inspiring.

“Also we encourage the young people to get involved in all aspects of the event, not just the performing, but the planning and delivery of the project as well.

“It really is their event.”

> To book tickets for the event, phone 01442 384349.

Dunstable Town 1
 Berkhamsted 0

Only a very late header from a disputed free-kick gave league leaders Dunstable Town the points against Berkhamsted on Tuesday night.

Paul Taylor was kept very busy in the home goal in the first half, as Berko dominated large chunks of the game.

Comrades midfielder Dan Griggs was only denied the opening goal by a clearance of the line, while Myles Stephenson’s pace was causing all sorts of trouble for the Dunstable defence.

Lewis Pritchard held the ball well up front, ensuring the Berko defence were untroubled for most of the game.

Taylor produced a good save to keep out a Stephenson shot early in the second half, and Frank Jowle sent over numerous corners but the Dunstable defence held firm.

Comrades manager Mick Vipond sent on a couple of substitutes in a bid to win the game but it was Town who made the breakthrough against the run of play with an highly contentious 88th-minute goal.

Dale Sears won the ball with a strong tackle but was adjudged to have committed a foul on the follow-through.

The resulting free-kick was whipped into the box, and substitute Darren Pickering flicked the ball past Berko keeper Carl Tasker at the back post to snatch the three points for his side.

The Comrades will be looking to make amends on Saturday when they play host to Colney Heath in a league fixture.

Vipond hopes to have close to a full squad available for the game, with Lewis Rodrigoe and leading scorer Lawrence Bunker expected to return to the side.

Jamie Gavin, however, is an injury doubt.

Development plans are in the pipeline for the market square in Hemel Hempstead.

Under work agreed by council bosses the bus station will be moved into Marlowes – near the junction with Bridge Street – to free up the former market site.

Councillor Terry Douris, cabinet member for planning and regeneration at Dacorum Borough Council, said: “It creates the potential to bring forward the market square and bus station for regeneration.

“If we can achieve it, it will provide an important connection between the northern end of the town centre and the traditional Marlowes shopping area.

“It has the potential to be hugely exciting.”

A meeting of the council’s cabinet last week also agreed to lay the groundwork for £3 million of improvements to Marlowes, including repaving the pedestrianised area and installing better lighting and seating.

“The whole thing will be a more attractive place, new lights, places to sit, trees and planting, improved child play facilities,” Mr Douris said.

“Three million doesn’t go a huge way. In terms of construction we could spend ten times that, but we have to cut our cloth to the funds available.”

Work is expected to start at the end of next year and finish in 2015.

The market in Marlowes is expected to be revamped in the new year with new standardised stalls in a revised layout.

Biggleswade United 3
Leverstock Green 1

Leverstock Green were beaten at Biggleswade United on Tuesday night – ending a run of seven away league games without defeat.

A 36th-minute goal from Levy’s Brad Wadkins had brought the scores level following an 11th-minute strike from Sean Murray.

However, two Biggleswade goals in the last 10 minutes – from Josh Dance and Murray – proved decisive and handed the home side all three points.

The result leaves Green in 14th position in the MSSML Premier Division table.

Next up for Steve Benitez’s side it a trip to 15th-placed Stotfold on Saturday afternoon.

Hatch End Hawks produced an excellent performance to finish as runners-up in the South East Women’s Lacrosse Clubs and Colleges Tournament.

Placed in a competitive league on the day, Hawks were keen to give every game their best shot.

The first three group stage matches saw Hawks off to a great start, beating Blackheath 3-2, Hitchin 7-0 and Putney B 6-1.

Hawks then faced top of the league Centaurs for their fourth group match.

Centaurs came out strongly from the start, scoring two fast goals in the first few minutes.

However, Hawks quickly gained composure and pulled a goal back through Alana Zukas, with the game finishing 2-1.

The Hawks bounced back with a 4-0 win over Putney B, before seeing off West London 2-1 in their final group game.

In the quarter-finals, Hawks faced Clapham and produced another top display to claim a 2-0 win and advance into the semis.

With team morale and confidence at its peak, Hawks took on Putney A – having lost to the same opponents 20-3 only a week previously.

Hawks dominated the early exchanges, scoring the first two goals and rattling Putney, who were perhaps expecting another easy game.

Fighting back, Putney levelled the scores at 2-2, but Zukas put Hawks back in front before Tiffany Lake sealed the win with a fourth goal.

Facing Centaurs again in the final, Hawks knew they were in for another tough game.

Centaurs took the lead, scoring two goals in quick succession, but Hawks quickly recovered and equalised in the second half.

However, with the pressure on and both teams facing some rough weather conditions, Centaurs eventually managed to score the decisive fifth goal to win the game and take the trophy.

“This is the greatest achievement in Hawks’ history at the annual South East Clubs and Colleges Tournament” said captain Becky Singleton.

“We played our best lacrosse of the season and I’m so proud of all the players. Well done Hawks!”

A car hit a broken down electric cart and overturned.

The Dacorum Borough Council-owned cart, which is used to transport sacks of litter, had broken down in Redbourn Road, Hemel Hempstead on Wednesday morning.

Its driver, who was not in the vehicle at the time of the collision, was waiting to be picked up when a green Ford Fiesta hit the cart close to the Sky Ford garage.

Ambulance, police and fire crews were called at 10.20am and the road was closed by officers.

A woman and a girl were taken to Hemel Hempstead’s Urgent Care centre with minor injuries.

Police have revealed that they are not investigating former mayor Stephen Holmes for any other crimes relating to children.

Officers do not believe that there is any risk that the ex-councillor, now behind bars for collecting a massive stash of child pornography, would have taken his sick fetish further.

Holmes, who has been a governor at several of the town’s schools over the years, was jailed after police raided his Woodhall Farm home and discovered he had filed 400,000 still images and more than 2,000 movie clips of children on his computer.

Despite the shocking discovery, there will be no internal investigation by Dacorum Borough Council, for which Holmes was a councillor up until his arrest and mayor between 2009 and 2010. His picture has been stripped from the Civic Centre’s public gallery of mayors.

Chief executive Daniel Zammit said: “As there is no evidence to connect the offences committed by Stephen Holmes with his role as DBC councillor and former mayor, there isn’t anything arising from his conviction that could be the subject of an investigation by the council.

“Councillors are not subject to CRB checks unless involved in specific areas or work or projects that will bring them into close contact (under regulated activities) with children or vulnerable adults. There are no mayoral activities that would involve unaccompanied children.”

He did, however, say that the council’s safeguarding policies and procedures are subject to regular audit and recently the frequency of some CRB checks of individuals has been increased.

Council leader Andrew Williams said: “I don’t think there is anything we could have done or could learn from a council investigation.”

Meanwhile, there has been an internal investigation at Herts County Council, where Holmes was also a councillor, as well as deputy cabinet member for children’s services and vice-chairman of the children’s services cabinet panel. Here he had been subject to a CRB check but because he had not been previously convicted of any crime it was clear.

Police confirmed officers looked at county council computers as part of their investigation but nothing sinister was found. Holmes did not have borough council computer equipment at home.

Mr Williams has put out a reassurance message to people living in Dacorum. He said: “People should be secure that incidents like this are relatively rare and there is no reason why people should feel unsafe in the company of their councillors in the future.”

See page 12 for your 
letters following the sentencing of Holmes

Thousands of people across the East of England are at risk because they fail to recognise the signs of a mini-stroke.

A Stroke Association survey of more than 196 people in the area revealed that two thirds did not recognise the symptoms, with more than a quarter believing they were seeing the symptoms of a heart attack.

Nine out of ten respondents said they would be worried if they experienced a mini-stroke – known medically as a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) – and yet almost three quarters said they would not go to hospital.

Professor Peter Rothwell, lead researcher of the project said: “This poll suggests that the signs of a TIA are still being ignored. This needs to change.”

More than 46,000 people suffer mini-strokes, caused by a temporary lack of blood flow to the brain, in the UK each year. Symptoms include facial weakness, speech problems and pins and needles down one side of the body, which often last for just a short time.

Earlier research shows that one in ten patients who have a mini-stroke go on to have a major stroke within a week. It is estimated that if all patients experiencing a mini-stroke received emergency treatment, almost 10,000 strokes could be avoided each year.

East of England Ambulance Service spokesman Gary Sanderson said: “First and foremost, if you suspect that you or someone else is having a stroke, please phone 999 immediately and ask for an ambulance.”

The main symptoms of stroke can be remembered with the word FAST: Face-Arms-Speech-Time

•Face: the face may have dropped on one side.

•Arms: the person may not be able to or have trouble lifting one or both arms.

•Speech: may be slurred or garbled, or the person may not be able to talk at all.

•Time: dial 999 immediately.

A usually clean shaven Mike Penning will be sporting a new hairy look this month for Movember.

Hemel Hempstead’s MP will be resisting the urge to shave in a bid to raise cash and awareness of men’s health issues, particularly prostate and testicular cancers.

Mr Penning said: “I have never grown a moustache in my life so this seems as good a time as any to try.

“Please support me and help raise awareness of these terrible diseases.”

Also getting involved with the worldwide fundraiser is Hemel Hempstead’s own Kent Brushes in London Road, Apsley.

Staff there are busy making handmade moustache combs created especially for the charity drive, which came about when the firm’s bosses met the Australian founders of Movember three years ago.

Since 2010 Kent Brushes has made 24,000 of the combs, raising around £100,000 for good causes. That figure is quickly rising and it is down to three ladies in the brush factory to produce the combs, which each take around 20 minutes to make.

At the moment between 70 to 80 online orders are coming in daily, but creative director Ben Cosby said: “It really does go bananas when it gets halfway through November – that is when the figure will go up to 150 a day.”

Sponsor Mr Penning at http://mobro.co/mikepenningmp and get your Movember comb at www.kentbrushes.co.uk

Teenager Lucy Hodson has made it through to the next stages of the National Open Mic UK competition.

The youngster, from Redbourn, impressed judges during the regional final at Watford on Sunday and will be performing in the area final at the Beck Theatre in Hayes on Sunday, November 18.

Lucy, who writes her own songs, is part of a charity project entitled St Albans Calling that sees unsigned artists record their original songs onto a CD with proceeds from sales going to local good causes.

The busy 15-year-old is also part of Hemel Hempstead performance group Gobstoppers and is playing one of the main roles in a stage show of Anything Goes this month.

To see a video of young Lucy performing visit www.hemeltoday.co.uk

An inquest into the death of a man who fell from his top-floor flat has been opened and adjourned.

David Vibert, 52, was found dead in the car park of Pelham Court, Leverstock Green, on Saturday, October 27.

The provisional cause of death was recorded as hypovolemic shock caused by multiple traumatic injuries by Herts Coroners Court yesterday (Wednesday).

The Gazette previously reported that David had asked a neighbour for help fixing a faulty window seal in his ninth floor flat about 30 minutes before the accident.

Neighbours in the adjacent Pelham Court block of flats reported seeing him hanging from the ledge before falling at about 8.30am.

Tenants of the two tower blocks say they have complained about faulty safety latches that allow windows to fly wide open. They claim they were damaged by the Buncefield explosion.

Dacorum Borough Council, which owns the blocks, sent a surveyor and officers there after the incident.

But spokesman Katie Warner said no further comment could be given until after the inquest.

An expert in Chinese medicine from Hemel Hempstead is carrying out a pioneering study into the healing powers of traditional herbs.

Lily Lai, who practices as a herbalist and acupuncturist at a sports therapy clinic in Apsley and Sportspace in Berkhamsted, wants to discover whether the herbs can be of benefit to women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

She said: “It’s quite a common hormonal condition. It affects women in a range of ways from excessive growth of hair to more serious conditions like increased risk of diabetes.

“There’s quite a range of conventional medical strategies but some people get side effects from it. The medicines might be effective but women can’t stand the side effects.”

Lily is hoping to find around 40 suitable women to take part in the NHS-funded study, which involves taking a mixture of eight to 10 herbs in a hot drink on a daily basis for six months.

The treatment package is worth up to £1,000.

Though the herbs can help with a wide range of PCOS symptoms, the aim of this work is to discover whether the herbs are able to regulate periods.

The study is being carried out at the University of Southampton, where Lily is a researcher working towards a PhD, and it will be overseen by GPs and other researchers.

Lily said: “Women with PCOS don’t always have a great deal of success with conventional medical treatments and this study would provide women with an interest in using herbs the chance to try them for free whilst being followed up regularly by a registered medical herbalist.”

If you would like to take part contact Lily by emailing info@chinesemedicineresearch.co.uk, calling 07527 929322 or visiting www.chinesemedicineresearch.co.uk

Bosses at struggling electrical retailer Comet are unable to say what the future holds for the Hemel Hempstead store and its staff.

The troubled firm confirmed today that it is poised to go into administration from next week and is working in a bid to secure a viable future for the company.

A spokesman for Comet said she does not currently have information about what will happen to the Apsley Mills store and its workers but said: “When we do, we will of course share it with you.”

A church choir is inviting youngsters to attend an open rehearsal to see if they like it.

The choir at St Mary’s Church, High Street, Hemel Hempstead, is hosting the practice on Friday, November 9 from 7pm to 8pm.

It is for youngsters aged between seven and 10. Parents are asked to let the director of music Simon Pusey know if they are coming and any who are unable to make it can attend an alternative rehearsal - held every Friday and for a short time before each service on Sundays.

Contact Simon on 01582 794899, email simon.pusey@ntlworld.com

Three vans were involved in a pile-up on the M1 northbound just before the Hemel Hempstead junction.

It happened after one of the vehicles hit the central reservation at around 4.30pm yesterday (Thursday).

Two people were taken to Watford General Hospital with minor injuries.

The vans - a white Mercedes Vito, a blue Volkswagen Transporter and a Citroen Relay - were recovered at around 6pm. Traffic was queuing back past the Watford junction on the northbound carriageway.