We are halfway through are review of the year for 2019.

It's an opportunity to look back at the biggest stories from Borehamwood and the surrounding areas over the past 12 months.

This is what happened in July.

Back in January, we saw evidence that anti-Semitism does exist in our communities, when the words 'Jew' and 'ghetto' were daubed over fences and walls in Shenley.

In July, anti-semitic graffiti appeared in Borehamwood, as what looked like a swastika was painted in blue on a tree trunk in Furzehill Road.

It was cleaned almost as quickly as it appeared but it was another worrying sign of anti-semitism, particularly in a town which is home to one of the largest Jewish communities in England.

Elsewhere, Labour councillor Michelle Vince was told to stay away from the Crown Road temporary home development site in Borehamwood.

Cllr Vince had been down there almost everyday, reporting on numerous occasions, she says, issues with the building site.

She claimed the ban "hampered" her in her role to support neighbours who have been "pushed to breaking point" by the ongoing development to build 28 modular homes.

And an audit report into the governance of council-owned buildings, in particular Elstree Studios, revealed "weaknesses in controls".

The leaked report has identified “weaknesses” in controls that led to misuse of expenses at the studios.

A Freedom of Information request in April revealed that Hertsmere Borough Council leader and Elstree Studios chairman Cllr Morris Bright and the Conservative group had to repay the studios thousands of pounds due to wrongly claimed expenses and use of council-owned property for party political purposes.

The council owns the Shenley Road studios, but a leaked independent audit published by the SIAS and commissioned by the council said it could only provide “limited assurance” – the second lowest of four ratings - that there are effective controls in operation.

The council has since confirmed it will act on a list of recommendations made in the report.