Residents celebrate Hitchin village green status

RESIDENTS were out in force to celebrate the official village green status given to nearby playing fields.

Benslow Fields in Hitchin are now officially registered, and residents decided to mark the occasion with a mass picnic and rounders match.

Many of them supplied evidence for a public inquiry, which looked into whether village green status should be granted.

Now that it has been, the fields are afforded extra protection against development.

Residents hope to make the rounders match and picnic an annual event.