Public get access to rare police records

A rare collection of old police records will be made available to the public for the first time after funding was secured for their conservation.

Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies (HALS) received an £18,750 grant from the National Manuscripts Conservation Trust for the conservation of Hertfordshire police records dating back to 1841.

The records from Bishop’s Stortford police station give an insight into life in the East of England at the time and highlight some interesting crimes including stolen pears, escaped World War 1 soldiers and missing royal hats.

It is hoped that the conservation and digitisation of the records will help more people understand what life was like for a 19th and early 20th century police constable.

A website (www.hertsmemories.org.uk) has been launched to provide an insight into the collection and the work that is going into conserving it.

Cabinet member for Hertfordshire local and libraries, Chris Hayward, said: “I believe that preserving Hertfordshire’s history is very important for current and future generations.

“These records provide a unique insight into life at the time through the eyes of someone who lived through it and we are glad to be able to offer them to the public for the first time.”