The year began unhappily for residents of a street in Borehamwood who said their lives were being made a misery by a gang of youths who were running wild.

The gang of eight 14 year olds was accused of slashing tyres, throwing bricks through windows and flinging rubbish into the gardens of residents in Crown Road.

One 51-year-old man, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, said the situation has been going on for around three years.

Meanwhile, shopkeepers complained Shenley Road had been turned into a “ghost town”.

Business owners remembered a bustling community hub with a butcher, a linen shop and even a vintage record store. They said all that had gone, and the street was blighted with 17 empty shops.

Shop owners blamed “exorbitant” business rates, which had increased by 35 per cent since 2008.

Also in January, motorists saw red over a “tattered and dangerous” width restriction the Hertfordshire County Council promised had promised would be fixed four months previously.

The four wooden posts at the 7ft restriction in Newark Green in Borehamwood were knocked over by a car two years ago so the council replaced them with two metal posts.

The narrow street was being used as a shortcut for lorries, causing a nuisance to residents.

People complained a hole had been left in the heart of the area after a much loved riding stable was forced to close.

Pony Zone in Aldenham Country Park in Elstree shut its doors in mid December with two days notice.

The club had helped children with disabilities such as autism learn how to ride.

Founder Debbie Hogg, who had previously used volunteers, asked the stable if she could use paid staff, only to have her request turned down.