The promised police crack down, which many claim is long overdue, is finally making itself felt. Petty gangs throughout Hertfordshire were taken into custody last night, following seventeen raids, all of which were coordinated to take place at exactly 5:53 PM, so as not to allow anyone to 'tip off' anyone else.

Chief Constable Peter Sharp QPM had this to say. "I couldn't be happier at this result. We do a hard job, and its something like this that really shows the public just what we're about.

And this is just the beginning of operation Juggernaut. We estimate a rapid fall in the amount of crime in the Hertfordshire area. "When asked to justify the increase in public spending, Chief Constable Sharp replied "I think that the results speak for themselves. It's true that we have increased funding, but we also have increased results as well. My message to the criminals is 'The Juggernaut is coming!'"

INCREASED PEPPER

Despite the police's promising results, and Chief Constable Sharp's optimistic words, there is one rapid increase in crime that is worrying many people. "Pepper", the highly addictive 'hard' drug that has quickly become the number one selling drug on the streets, has finally hit Hatfield with full force. One source, a drug dealer who wishes to remain anonymous, was even COMPLAINING about this drug. "It's like, I've just got my hands on 10 grands worth of coke, and then this pepper stuff hits the streets, and suddenly nobody wants my stuff. It's just not right!"

There are a lot of warnings about this new drug. We talked to Dr. Caroline John, from the Hertfordshire Constabulary "Pepper is something new, and we're still having trouble working out exactly what's in it. Because of this, it has been almost impossible to treat people who overdose on this stuff. And, due to its highly addictive nature, it is very easy to overdose. Pepper gives a high that last between 15 and 30 minutes, and yet high doses stay in the bloodstream for up to 32 hours after. And so people keep taking this drug, with large amounts still in their system. This leads to a condition called 'Toxic Overload', which leads to the patient entering a state similar to epileptic fit, which either results in brain damage or a sudden and excessive brain haemorrhage, leading to death."

The public continues to be warned about the dangers of the drug, and are asked to report any information that they have to the proper authorities as soon as possible.

CIVILISATIONS PAST

The collection of ancient Greek and Egyptian exhibitions, called 'Civilisations past' has finally reached Hatfield House. The works, some of which have never been seen by the public before, are collect from a number of different sources, including museums, personal collections and a number of fresh discoveries. Critics, who got a sneak preview of the collection last night, have hailed this as 'one of the most important exhibitions of this kind to come to this country for many years.' Tickets are available and, surprisingly enough, are actually free! The organisers have announced that they want the public to enjoy this beautiful exhibition, and that they hope to increase awareness and interest in the subject. However, donations are accepted. For more information, contact Hatfield House.

POKEMON CRUSH

Bernard Smithers, 46, a local man, was hired by the store Card Crazy, to dress as the popular cartoon, card and video game character Pikachu, and distribute free cards as a promotional stunt. However, it resulted in tragedy, as the young fans of the card game crushed Bernard. Jim Stott, managing director of Card Crazy, had this to say. "Well, he seemed like a bit of a geezer, so I hired him. Unfortunately for him and us, things got a bit out of hand. But we're still here, open for business and ready to give the public the best deals possible.