Stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: December 11th, 1915.

Proof that the war has called to better work those men who were apt to keep the law courts busy comes in an Order which has been issued by the Home Office for the closing of His Majesty's prison at St Albans, which was erected in November 1867.

Since December 1st no prisoners have been committed to St Albans Prison, the female prisoners being committed to Holloway Prison, the males from the north of Bedfordshire sent to Bedford Gaol and those from the southern side to Pentonville. Male prisoners awaiting trial will be sent to Brixton Prison.

The prisoners at present detained in St Albans Prison will, in the course of a few weeks, be removed to other prisons and the jail will have been cleared by the end of January.

• Company Quartermaster Sgt Reginald Bell became the first rank-and-file member of the Bedfordshire Regiment to be awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. The award for the Bedford soldier came for gallantry in Gallipoli while he was serving as a private in August 1915. By December he was in Fern Hill Auxiliary Hospital, Bacup, with wounds to both thighs caused by expanding bullets and his left limb was severely fractured.

• Today is the last day for enlistment under Lord Derby's scheme, originally announced as ending on November 30th but expended until today as it was clear that the limit first set was too arbitrary, and that the work could not possibly be completed in the time first fixed.

• The loss to Luton straw hat manufacturers through the non-return of empty boxes was discussed at last night's meeting of the Chamber of Commerce. Mr Thomas Keens said it was impossible to say what an item like this cost the town, but he was convinced that on a conservative estimate at least a loss of £10,000 a year. A sub-committee was formed to look into the question.

• Luton Town FC struggled to field 11 men for their return friendly against Portsmouth on the South Coast. Bob and Fred Hawkes and Dick Elvey were unable to make the trip, and military duties meant former Aston Villa player Pte Archie Dyke was also missing. In the end the Town fielded seven soldiers thanks to three members of the 3/2nd E.A.R.E. being available to make up numbers. The visitors went 2-0 down after playing into driving rain in the first half but Roe pulled a goal back in the second half with Town on top, but home goalkeeper Gray produced a performance that denied a draw or even a win.