Updates for Wednesday, 10 February 2016
News, sport. travel and weather updates resume at 08:00 on Thursday
BBC Sport
Unbeaten British heavyweight Anthony Joshua, from Watford, is in talks over an IBF world title fight against Charles Martin.
Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed that American Martin, also undefeated, is a possible opponent for Joshua at London's O2 Arena on 9 April.
Image source, Getty ImagesA recent graduate has spoken out about receiving a torrent of abuse online, external by issuing an open letter to a Twitter user who mocked her by smearing his face in Nutella in a ‘blackface’ attempt after she revealed she passed university after three times.
BBC Sport
Stevenage have moved 11 points clear of the relegation zone after two goals from Tom Conlon gave them a 2-1 win at Hartlepool.
Caretaker manager Darren Sarll said: "We stuck to our guns... I want to play a certain way and to be fair to the boys, as everyone could see in the ground, for 60 minutes I thought we were terrific."
Paul Scoins
BBC Three Counties Radio political reporter
A petition of over 3,600 names has been handed in to Bucks and MK Fire Authority against plans to shut the fire station at Great Holm in Milton Keynes.
The authority is meeting today to decide whether to go ahead with plans to create a new "emergency hub" in Bletchley, which could include ambulance, police and council facilities. MPs have already secured £2.8m funding from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG, external).
The fire service say there'll be no reduction in fire engines and no firefighter redundancies, but claims moving this station would eventually save £600,000 per year.
It will turn increasingly dry and bright this afternoon, with some sunny spells developing.
Maximum temperature: 8C (46F).
Paul Scoins
BBC Three Counties Radio political reporter
A councillor in Milton Keynes has raised concerns over the proposed closures of Great Holm and Bletchley fire stations, to move to a centralised hub near the MK Dons' stadium.
Labour councillor Kevin Wilson said the level of congestion in Milton Keynes had grown "exponentially" in the past few years, and that moving the fire service to this new hub would inevitably result in a death because of delays getting to fires.
Bucks and Milton Keynes Fire Authority, external is holding a meeting today to decide on the plans.
Paul Scoins
BBC Three Counties Radio political reporter
I'm at a meeting in Milton Keynes that's being held by Bucks and Milton Keynes Fire Authority, external. The meeting is to decide whether to close Great Holm and Bletchley stations, and move to a new hub near stadium:mk.
The council chamber is packed out - and lots of local people and firefighters have spoken so far. There's concern about the response times to more dense parts of the town and beyond.
There is also scepticism about the savings, and the possible difficulty of getting away from the fire station on MK Dons match days, if there was an emergency.
Dani Bailey
BBC Local Live
As part of the People's History of Pop, David Stopps tells us about the early days of Aylesbury Friars.
Allow YouTube content?
This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
Tony Fisher
BBC Three Counties Radio
The top stories:
BBC Sport
Milton Keynes Dons came within seconds of three vital points at stadium:mk last night.
Image source, Getty ImagesThey conceded a stoppage time equaliser in a 1-1 draw at home to promotion chasing Middlesbrough in the Championship.
Dean Bowditch gave the Dons an early lead, but £9m striker Jordan Rhodes levelled to leave Karl Robinson's side three points above the relegation zone.
Paul Scoins
BBC Three Counties Radio political reporter
There are around 20 doctors standing outside the main entrance of the Milton Keynes Hospital, many of them junior doctors, as part of the latest strike. There are occasional beeps of support from some cars coming past.
They say they're being asked to work under unreasonable conditions and the government is placing them in a position where doctors and patients will ultimately not be safe.
Those on the picket line acknowledge some patients are inconvenienced, but say that in the long term the safety of the NHS depends on them getting the best deal.
Simon Oxley
BBC Three Counties Radio
Hertfordshire County Council is to get more than £15m of extra government funding, after complaints over December's spending settlement.
Hertfordshire will get an extra £15.5m, with Central Bedfordshire given £4.4m - but Luton and Milton Keynes are among those councils not getting any extra money.
Image source, ThinkstockBBC Sport
Wycombe Wanderers have moved into the League Two play-off places after a 2-1 win at Dagenham.
Image source, Getty ImagesPaul Hayes and Paris Cowan-Hall scored the goals, with both sides having a player sent off - Garry Thompson saw red for Wanderers.
Manager Gareth Ainsworth said the team had made it "harder than they needed to" but "you take a win any way you can".
Police are re-appealing for information about a man who escaped from Springhill Prison, external in Buckinghamshire on 1 February.
Image source, Thames Valley PoliceDaniel Rutter, 43, walked out of the open prison and was last seen in the village of Grendon Underwood where the jail is based at about 17:00.
Members of the public are asked not to approach Rutter if they see him, but to call police immediately, external.
Simon Oxley
BBC Three Counties Radio
Yesterday we told you the Conservative MP for Bedford, Richard Fuller, had told Parliament that Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner Olly Martins wanted to "raid" local fire budgets to increase funding for policing.
Image source, Bedfordshire Police and Crime CommissionerSince then, Mr Martins has accused Mr Fuller of "mischief making" ahead of May's PCC elections and denied he plans to close fire stations if he takes control of fire services.
He said he was looking at closer co-operation but "not a wholesale takeover" - for example it would be "a lot more efficient" to have a combined police and fire communications team.
Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live
The Luton and Dunstable Hospital , externalhas tweeted, external patients should attend appointments as normal unless they hear otherwise during the latest 24-hour strike by junior doctors.
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
Simon Oxley
BBC Three Counties Radio
The top stories this morning:
Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live
West Herts Hospitals, external NHS Trust has said, external it's "working hard" to keep services "running safely" at its Watford (pictured), St Albans and Hemel Hempstead hospitals as junior doctors began their second 24-hour strike.
Image source, South Beds News AgencyAllow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
A Dutch international volleyball player travelled to Milton Keynes and raped a 12-year-old girl he met on Facebook.
Steven Van de Velde, 21, returned to the Netherlands after his trip to MK in August 2014, but was extradited and arrested in January.
Aylesbury Crown Court heard how Van de Velde, of Cornelis De Wittlaan, Den Haag, was aware of the girl's age, having had conversations on various social networking sites. He pleaded guilty to three counts of rape against a child and will be sentenced next month.
A man, who travelled from Amsterdam to Milton Keynes to meet a 12-year-old girl he met on Facebook before raping her, was a Dutch international volleyball player.
Image source, Federation Internationale de VolleyballSteven Van de Velde, 21, pleaded guilty at Aylesbury Crown Court to three counts of rape against a child.
The court heard how he travelled from Amsterdam in August 2014 and raped the girl near Furzton Lake, and at an address in Milton Keynes. He will be sentenced in March.
