Updates for Thursday 1 October 2015
News, sport, travel and weather updates resume at 08:00 on Friday
Thanks for joining us today - we'll be back tomorrow from 08:00 with all the latest news, weather, sport and travel for Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.
In the meantime, take a look below to see how news of a huge sinkhole in St Albans unfolded.
Richard Haugh
BBC News
Ok, this might be a cynical attempt to exploit the popularity of the Rugby World Cup - but look, it's a pig playing rugby!
Image source, RSPCAThe RSPCA, which released the photo in an appeal for people to rehome pigs, said two-year-old Genevieve had impressed staff at the Southridge Animal Centre, externalin Hertfordshire.
Manager Anna White said: “We gave her a rugby ball just to see what she thought of it and she’s a natural. She knocks it around her pen with her snout."
BBC Travel
Traffic is queuing on the M1 northbound and there's a lane blocked between J10 for Luton Airport and J11 for the A505 because of an accident.
Rob Sykes
BBC Three Counties Radio
Residents of Fontmell Close in St Albans talk about the sinkhole.
Jonathan Park
BBC Look East sport
The Rugby World Cup's three matches in Milton Keynes will provide the city with a financial boost of at least £10m, the council says.
Image source, AFPGeoff Snelson, director of strategy at Milton Keynes Council, said the "visitor spend" could even boost the local economy by up to £30m.
"We will be commissioning an audit and economic appraisal after the event to see if we actually realise those numbers," he said. "We will publish that figure."
Chris Bell
BBC Look East weather presenter
It will stay fine and dry this evening and tonight, with long clear spells. Light northeasterly winds with low temperatures of 5-8C (mid 40sF).
It will be another fine, dry day tomorrow - with long spells of sunshine and just some patchy fair-weather cloud at times.
Light northeasterly winds with high temperatures around 19C (66F).
Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live
Luton-born Nadiya Hussain is through to the final of the BBC's Great British Bake-Off after being voted star baker in last night's programme.
The 30-year-old, who now lives in Leeds, has said she was inspired to bake at Challney High School.
Judge Paul Hollywood said: "Nadiya deserves to be in the final and she deserves to be star baker, she picked two bakes that are quite tricky to do and got it spot on at the right time."
Thames Valley Police is getting in the spirit!
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Richard Haugh
BBC News
A man who is not allowed to return to his home due to the large "sinkhole" in St Albans says he heard the hole growing.
Image source, APBen Bagshaw, whose wife is heavily pregnant, said he was awoken by an "awful rumbling" sound and went on to throw stones at his neighbours' windows to alert them of the hole.
"The road... had gone along with a fence," he said. "It was getting bigger as the sides crumbled away."
Lee Agnew
BBC Three Counties Radio
A public meeting is being held this evening over plans to close down two courtrooms in Bedfordshire.
The government has included Mid Bedfordshire Magistrates' Court and Bedford County Court (pictured) among those they want to shut.
The PCS Union says it's concerned about how that would affect the public's access to the justice system.
Image source, GoogleBBC Travel
There's queuing traffic on the M25 clockwise between J24 for Potters Bar and J25 for Enfield after an accident earlier on.
All lanes have reopened but congestion's still going back to J22 for St Albans.
Jonathan Park
BBC Look East sport
Not long to go now until Rugby World Cup action arrives in Milton Keynes, with France taking on Canada at Stadium MK tonight.
Image source, AFPPete Winkelman, MK Dons chairman, said he was "very excited" but a "little nervous" about the event.
"The third biggest sporting event in the world and it’s here on our door step - a once in a lifetime opportunity," he said.
Richard Haugh
BBC News
A heavily pregnant woman had to clamber from her bed and dash to safety after the massive sinkhole appeared outside her home in St Albans in the middle of the night.
Image source, South Beds News AgencyGemma Bagshaw, 32, was woken from her sleep by the sound of an "earthquake" in the road outside her home.
Ms Bagshaw, who was due to give birth last week, said: "If this doesn't bring on my labour then nothing will."
Richard Haugh
BBC News
A dog has been found abandoned in a wood in Amersham, tied to a tree.
Image source, RSPCAThe Staffordshire bull terrier, which is called Patch and thought to be around nine months old, was found by a member of the public off Old Saw Mill Lane last Thursday.
The RSPCA said Patch was "obviously distraught" at being abandoned, but otherwise in a good condition.
Ben Nye
BBC Three Counties Radio
Experts at The British Geological Survey believe the hole in Fontmell Close in St Albans could be attributed to mining in the area.
Image source, Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue ServiceOld maps show that the close is on the site of an old brickworks.
Pete Halls, from the British Geological Survey, said: "It's possible that there could have been undermining in connection to the brickworks."
Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live
As World Cup rugby comes to Milton Keynes, about 100,000 extra people are expected to visit the town and road closures will be in place around Stadium MK.
Image source, GoogleResidents complained about the closures at a test event earlier this year, but Milton Keynes Council said a full traffic plan is in place.
Geoff Snelson from the local authority said: "The key thing is to look at our website, external - there's a whole range of traffic information on there."
Jodie Smith
BBC News
Our Beds, Herts and Bucks Live page has been dominated by news of the St Albans "sinkhole" today, and we'll continue to bring you updates on that story as we get them.
Here's what's happening elsewhere in the three counties:
The St Albans and Harpenden Review is also posting updates, external of what is happening with the "sinkhole" that has appeared in Fontmell Close in St Albans.
Richard Haugh
BBC News
The fire service has said it did all it could to protect people from the St Albans 'sinkhole', which grew to be 20m (65ft) wide two days after it was first assessed.
Rad Bristow, from Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: "I understand it's a really stressful time for residents, but in terms of the emergency response we did what would be expected.
"The main thing to take from this is that everybody is safe, nobody was injured."
Richard Haugh
BBC News
The fire service says the 'sinkhole' in St Albans was first spotted "a couple of days ago".
Rad Bristow, from Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, told BBC News: "They assessed the situation and cordoned off the hole.
"Since then the size of the hole has grown quite substantially. I don't think it could have been foreseen the hole could have grown so significantly over this period of time."