Drama on the high seas made front page news in the Herts Advertiser a decade ago, when three locals on a sailing trip to France were stopped, boarded by armed French customs officers and mistakenly treated like drug runners.

Stunned Harpenden trio Martyn Gulliver, Steve Gledhill and Dave Price were sailing with yacht owner Richard Whitmore-Jones when they were stopped.

According to the story published in the September 28, 2006 edition, the group was sailing from Chichester Harbour to Saint Vaast for dinner at a well-known restaurant.

Steve said the yachtsmen “were treated very harshly” before French custom officials realised it had been a fruitless raid.

In Redbourn, villagers had foul-tasting brown water coming out of their taps, making their throats dry and sore.

There were fears the contamination had something to do with the Buncefield depot explosion, but it emerged that a water shortage had forced Three Valleys to take water from neighbouring Anglia Water. This liquid contained a different concentration of minerals which had caused changes to the galvanised pipes serving some homes.

St Albans nightclub Batchwood began trialling the use of plastic drinks containers.