That's all from us today. We'll be back with you tomorrow from 08:00 with all the latest news, sport, weather and travel for Beds, Herts and Bucks.

Those behind the high-speed rail link, HS2, will be employing people to engage with the communities affected by the project.

Eleven specialist roles will be based along the proposed route which runs through Buckinghamshire. 

There will be local information events where people can air their concerns as the project moves towards construction.

Hertfordshire Police have released an e-fit of a man in connection with an attempted rape in Abbots Langley.

Image source, Hertfordshire Police

A teenage girl was grabbed and assaulted by two men in Tanners Wood at 19:15 on 12 July last summer.

Dani Bailey
BBC Local Live

There are several road closures in Bedford town centre around Greyfriars Police Station due to a suspected World War Two device which was brought in by a member of the public just after 16:00

A cordon is in place as a precaution and an Explosive Ordnance Disposal team is en-route.

Union Street is closed at Midland Road, Alexandra Place and Hassett Street. Priory Street is also closed.

The future of a parchment and vellum company in Newport Pagnell is uncertain today after the House of Lords confirmed the ancient tradition of printing laws on vellum will come to an end in March.

Image source, UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor

MPs handed the decision to end the 1,000-year-old practice to peers, who are now pushing ahead with the measure, which is expected to save £80,000 a year.

Since 1870, over four generations at William Cowley have been producing genuine, hand-crafted, Parchment and Vellum using methods largely unchanged for centuries. 

Dani Bailey
BBC Local Live

A person has been taken to hospital after a stabbing in Dunstable this afternoon.

Police were called at about 14:45 to a fight outside the Grove Theatre in which the person sustained injuries that are not thought to be life threatening.

Investigations are ongoing and a police cordon is in place along the side of the theatre.

Alex Dolan
BBC Look East weather

Tonight: A chilly end to the day with clear skies for most of the night. Temperatures will fall overnight bringing a widespread frost and the risk of icy patches. Lows of -1C (30F).

Tomorrow: A cold, frosty start with the risk of some icy patches first thing. Highs of 6-7C (44F).

Tony Fisher
BBC Three Counties Radio

The top stories this afternoon:

• Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Fire Authority has approved proposals to close Bletchley and Great Holm Fire Stations
• A lorry driver remains in a critical condition after a collision on the M1 in Bedfordshire
• A car has crashed backwards through the front of a shop in Westoning

Tony Fisher
BBC Three Counties Radio

The world's biggest aircraft is due to begin a series of test flights over Bedfordshire next month. 

The Airlander 10 is a cross between an airship, a plane and a helicopter. It is as long as a football pitch and as tall as six double decker buses, and is housed in one of the Cardington Sheds from where it will make its maiden voyage.

Image source, Hybrid Air Vehicles

Chris Daniel from Hybrid Air Vehicles, external, the company behind it, said: "It's original specification was to sit at 20,000ft for three weeks at a time. We won't do that on the first flight clearly, it'll probably be half an hour to an hour just round Bedfordshire - we'll stay within 15 miles of the hangar."

Lee Agnew
BBC Three Counties Radio

A car crashed backwards through the front of a shop at Westoning in Bedfordshire earlier this afternoon.

Image source, Other

A set of traffic lights have also been damaged in the accident which took place shortly after 14:00 this afternoon. 

An ambulance was called to the scene, but the driver is believed to be uninjured.   

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Blue Peter presenter Barney Harwood has called the oldest pancake race in the world a "great event" after running in it yesterday.

In a break with tradition at yesterday's race in Olney - an event normally reserved for women - he donned a blonde wig to take part. You can see how he got on in Thursday's programme at 17:00 on CBBC.

He said: "The pace of some of the runners was frightening, but the atmosphere was brilliant, and it was so much fun. It was great to meet some of the children taking part, and that pancake at the end made the running all worthwhile”.

Dani Bailey
BBC Local Live

A lorry driver remains in a critical condition in hospital after a crash on the M1 last night.

The collision between two lorries happened on the northbound carriageway between J12-J13 at about 23:20.

One driver suffered serious injuries and is being cared for at Addenbrookes Hospital. 

Tony Fisher
BBC Three Counties Radio

The Government has warned junior doctors a new contract will be imposed on them  if an agreement isn't reached by the middle of the month. A second 24-hour strike is under way in the dispute over working hours and pay. 

Joe Harrison, the chief executive of Milton Keynes Hospital, says they're doing everything they can to minimise the impact on patients.

"We think we can cope in the short term, however we, like everybody else in the country, don't want this strike to continue," he said. "We want to make sure that our patients are treated and are safe."

Tony Fisher
BBC Three Counties Radio

A 21-year-old man from St Albans has been charged with robbery and possession of an imitation firearm in connection with a robbery at a Carphone Warehouse store in Reading last week.

Two members of staff were threatened by two men who stole mobile phones. The man appeared before magistrates on Saturday and was remanded to appear at Reading Crown Court next month.

The MP for Hitchin and Harpenden got into the spirit of Shrove Tuesday yesterday by starting seven races as part of the Hitchin Pancake Festival.

Image source, Peter Lilley's office

More than 40 racers flipped their way through St Mary's churchyard - some of them in fancy dress.

Gareth Lloyd
BBC Three Counties Radio

Henry Lytton-Cobbold remembers 40 years of music history at Knebworth House, external, as part of the People's History of Pop.

The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen, The Beach Boys and Robbie Williams are all celebrated by the Stately Home of Rock.

Paul Scoins
BBC Three Counties Radio political reporter

The chief fire officer for Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes, external says the fire service needs to move to a "more flexible, dynamic response".

Jason Thewell says they are going to move to a model when, at peak times, the fire appliances are not based in one location, but instead can be located around Milton Keynes. 

This is based on evidence of when the peak times are. However, the leader of MK Council, Peter Marland, says the evidence has not been detailed enough.

Paul Scoins
BBC Three Counties Radio political reporter

The fire authority for Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes has approved a proposal to merge two fire stations and develop a "blue light hub" in partnership with the police.

The decision was made by a majority at Milton Keynes Council offices today, following a public consultation which was launched in September 2014.

The chief fire officer for Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes, Jason Thelwell, said the fire service needs to move to a "more flexible, dynamic response".

Paul Scoins
BBC Three Counties Radio political reporter

Councillor Peter Marland, the Labour leader of Milton Keynes Council, who also sits on the authority, has called the response time modelling used by the Bucks and MK Fire Service "a dereliction of duty".

He said the service has based the figures on current resident numbers, and that in years to come the town will grow by 25,000, and - by 2025 - the area of Milton Keynes by a mile. 

Paul Scoins
BBC Three Counties Radio political reporter

Proposals for a new "blue light hub" in Bletchley have been passed at a meeting in Milton Keynes.

Great Holm and Bletchley fire stations will close and move to new premises in Ashland near stadium:mk.