CARTOONS featuring the prophet Muhammad caused wide-scale debate as race relations were sent into crisis. Protests by Muslims turned into riots around the world with at least four people dying in Afghanistan. Mohammad Alam, director of North Herts Minorit

CARTOONS featuring the prophet Muhammad caused wide-scale debate as race relations were sent into crisis. Protests by Muslims turned into riots around the world with at least four people dying in Afghanistan.

Mohammad Alam, director of North Herts Minority Ethnic Forum in Hitchin, explained why the cartoons were "very offensive". He said: "From an Islamic point of view, people are not even allowed to draw a decent picture of the holy prophet."

* It was bad news for health trusts in Comet country as they overspent by more money than forecast. The Beds and Herts Strategic Health Authority admitted it looked set to end the financial year with a deficit of more than £90 million.

* In the same month one of the country's top paralympic athletes, Paul Pearce, 43, was killed. The sporting hero from Letchworth GC died from multiple injuries after he was struck by a lorry while on a training run along the A507 Stotfold bypass.