A Freedom of Information request revealed how a council leader and his party had to pay back a film studios thousands of pounds in wrongly-claimed expenses.

Elstree Studios hit the headlines in April after Labour leader Cllr Jeremy Newmark accused his opposite number Cllr Morris Bright, leader of Hertsmere Borough Council and chairman of the studios, of benefitting from use of the council-owned studios.

In July last year, an email between studio managers showed concerns over payment for council leader Cllr Bright’s wife’s expenses at the Cannes Film Festival, use of the studios buildings for a Tory dinner in 2015, a celebration of Cllr Morris’s MBE investiture, the cost of BAFTA awards attendance, and training for Conservative councillors.

An FoI revealed the conversations had between Cllr Bright, colleagues, and studios managing director Roger Morris, who "tried to clamp down on some of the expense claims".

Since the FoI was published, an audit report has been released into the governance of the studios, and a number of controls are being implemented at the studios too.

At Elstree & Borehamwood station, a £1.5 million upgrade was completed on the station concourse. There is now a bigger ticket hall for passengers to travel through. Further improvements have included a new Costa coffee and disabled toilets.

And there was praise for a young boy who went out of his way to make Borehamwood a tidier town.

Seven-year-old Mason Jacobs was joined by friends on Easter Monday to clear up streets and parks as part of his 'Keep Borehamwood Tidy' campaign.

Borehamwood Times:

Mason Jacobs and his band of helpers