BBC Local Live: Beds, Herts and Bucks

Summary

Updates for Friday, 7 October 2016
A large fire breaks out at Cosgrove Hall
The Grade II-listed hall is in Northamptonshire on the edge of Milton Keynes
The hall's been completed gutted in the blaze which began in the afternoon
Ambulance service says no-one has been hurt
Marlow 'open for business' following bridge damage
Boy, 12, in £100k cancer treatment fight
More than £1m spent on translation services at Luton Borough Council
Police dog Finn is 'recovering fantastically' after stabbing

Live Reporting

Alex Pope

Tributes paid to motorcyclist killed in Cheshunt on Saturdaypublished at 17:31 British Summer Time 5 October 2016
The family have paid tribute to man who died after being involved in a crash in Cheshunt, external on Saturday.
Christopher Wilson, 28, known as ‘Ginge’ to his friends, died after his Kawasaki motorbike was involved in a collision with a white Audi Q3 in Fairways on the New River Industrial Estate.
His mother, Susan Wilson, said the keen motorcross racer put his "heart and soul" into the sport.
A fundraising motocross race is taking place in his memory at Motoland UK in Bury St Edmunds on Sunday.
Image source, Hertfordshire Police
Overnight weather: Dry but becoming quite chillypublished at 17:23 British Summer Time 5 October 2016
Alex Dolan
BBC Look East weather
It'll become rather breezy, and turn increasingly cloudy during the evening and overnight, with lows of between 6C and 12C (43F to 54F).
Thursday will be cloudier, and mainly dry although there's the risk of a few showers in places.
Highs of 15C (59F).
You can get a more detailed forecast, wherever you live, from BBC Weather.
Dog unit thank public for all support in wishing PD Finn wellpublished at 16:50
Alex Pope
BBC Local Live
The team at BCH Dog Unit have thanked the public, external for all their support in wishing PD Finn a speedy recovery after he was seriously stabbed in a police incident in Stevenage last night.
He's currently being treated by vets in Hitchin where he underwent a four hour operation today that seems to have gone well.
Image source, BCH Dog Unit
Police dog and handler stabbedpublished at 16:11 British Summer Time 5 October 2016
A police officer and his dog are stabbed while trying to apprehend a man suspected of robbing a taxi driver at gunpoint.
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Police dog Finn out of surgerypublished at 16:03 British Summer Time 5 October 2016
Alex Pope
BBC Local Live
Good news...
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Teenager seriously hurt after being bitten by dogpublished at 15:48 British Summer Time 5 October 2016
Jane Killick
BBC Three Counties Radio
A teenage boy has been seriously injured after being bitten by a dog while out in a park in Luton, external.
The dog, which is described as a fully grown Staffordshire Bull terrier, ran up to the teenager on Monday afternoon about 17:00 and bit him on the arm, police said.
It happened in a park between Hibbery Street, Albert Road and New Town Street.
Tesco shares jump as sales recoverpublished at 14:29 British Summer Time 5 October 2016
Tesco shares close 10% higher after it reports another rise in sales and says it is on track to make full-year operating profits of £1.2bn.
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Is Greg on target to reach week three in Strictly?published at 13:57 British Summer Time 5 October 2016
Alex Pope
BBC Local Live
It's Movie Week this week on Strictly this weekend.
So what do you do if you get given Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves?
Go for archery lessons of course!
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Strictly Come Dancing: Greg Rutherford does it for youpublished at 13:56 British Summer Time 5 October 2016
Alex Pope
BBC Local Live
Staying with news of Olympians and on planet Strictly it seems that those in charge of the dance floor tunes have run out of long-jump themed songs!
This week Milton Keynes' Greg Rutherford and his professional dance partner Natalie Lowe will be performing the American Smooth to Everything I Do (I Do It For You) by Bryan Adams from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
So it can mean only one thing - it's Movie Week/
The team here still don't know why they didn't go for these films: 21 Jump Street, Jumping Jack Flash or White Men Can't Jump.
Image source, PA
Stott retirement: Praise for 'true champion'published at 13:43 British Summer Time 5 October 2016
Messages of support have been coming in this morning for Bedford's Etienne Stott after he announced his retirement from the sport.
Kind words were shared by the Olympic gold medal winning canoeist, Joe Clarke, Paralympian Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and UK Sport.
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Stott retirement: 'The Gift That Keeps on Giving'published at 13:42 British Summer Time 5 October 2016
BBC Sport
Earlier we shared the news the golden boy of Bedford, Etienne Stott, has decided to hang up his paddle and retire from canoeing.
He announced this news in a blog titled "The Gift That Keeps on Giving, external."
He says "from now on, I will be just a canoeist who hopefully does some other good stuff!"
He also drew a sketch to show what success looks like.
Image source, Etienne Stott
Three injured after Luton police pursuitpublished at 13:30 British Summer Time 5 October 2016
Simon Oxley
BBC Three Counties Radio
Three people have been taken to hospital after a collision during a police pursuit in Luton in the early hours of this morning.
The incident happened at about 03:25 when a car refused to stop in Leicester Road.
Bedfordshire Police say a short pursuit followed before the car collided with another vehicle on Bancroft Road.
Several roads were closed for investigation work, but have now re-opened.
Police dog Finn in serious but stable conditionpublished at 13:19 British Summer Time 5 October 2016
Alex Pope
BBC Local Live
The police dog, Finn, hurt in an incident in Stevenage last night, external, is in a serious but stable condition at a vets in Hitchin and is receiving specialist treatment. The team there are trying to establish the exact extent of his injuries.
Hertfordshire police have confirmed that his handler, PC David Wardell, has been released from hospital after being stabbed in the hand.
Image source, Hertfordshire police
Insp Mark Farrant, from the dog unit, says "PC Wardell has had Finn since the German Shepherd was nine-months-old.
"Naturally they have a very strong bond and have worked successfully together for a number of years where they have detained a number of suspects and located missing people too.
"We will be continuing to support PC Wardell and will be closely monitoring Finn’s condition."
'Thoughts and prayers' for injured police officer and dogpublished at 13:00
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Get well messages for PD Finnpublished at 12:35 British Summer Time 5 October 2016
The BCH Police Dogs unit have tweeted, external about the attack on police dog Finn.
Many get well wishes have been shared including "hope the officer and PD Finn make a quick recovery", "so brave" and "get well soon".
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Vets doing 'all they can' to save police dogpublished at 12:34 British Summer Time 5 October 2016
Alex Pope
BBC Local Live
Hertfordshire police say they were initially called to Featherstone Road in Stevenage, external just before 23:00 last night after reports a taxi driver had been robbed, but not hurt.
When they got there, a suspect ran from the scene and a dog handler and his dog Finn gave chase.
Image source, Hertfordshire Police
Ch Insp Tannis Perks says "the dog handler was taken to the Lister hospital for treatment and police dog Finn suffered severe injuries and vets are doing all they can to treat him.
“Whilst I can imagine the high level of police activity in Stevenage overnight may have caused some concern to residents, I would like to reassure people that a number of arrests have been made.
"Our investigations are on-going and there will be increased high visibility patrols in the area."
Police dog left with severe injuries after Stevenage stabbingpublished at 12:12 British Summer Time 5 October 2016
Alex Pope
BBC Local Live
A police dog handler and his dog have been stabbed during an incident in Stevenage overnight., external
The dog, Finn (pictured), suffered severe injuries with wounds to his head and chest. He is currently receiving emergency treatment. The officer's hand was injured.
Image source, Hertfordshire police
The duo were responding to reports of an armed robbery of a taxi driver in Fetherstone Road at about 22:55, which sparked a major police operation involving armed officers, the force helicopter and dog units.
A suspect was later challenged in Rowland Road where the dog handler and dog gave chase. They were stabbed in Denton Road.
Five people, including two teenagers, a 35-year-old woman and 31-year-old man from Stevenage, and a woman, 36, from Luton have been arrested.
They are all in police custody.
Stott retirement: Career started on River Great Ousepublished at 11:18 British Summer Time 5 October 2016
BBC Sport
Back now to our story about Etienne Stott's retirement - and the Olympian starting canoeing with St Andrews Scouts on the River Great Ouse near his home town, Bedford.
He says he was not a natural at sport and was "uncoordinated, un-athletic and could barely swim".
He added: "When I started getting into competitive slalom at Viking Kayak Club, external (in Bedford) in the early 90s, I truly and naively believed that I would be a multiple Olympic and World Champion... it was just a matter of time and some training."
Image source, Getty Images
"Looking back at my young self, I’m sure I displayed no sign that one day I would be an Olympic champion and a consistent world-class competitor.
"In the end, I got to become an Olympic champion just once, but I now know the true efforts required."
St Albans road closed after multi-vehicle accidentpublished at 11:16 British Summer Time 5 October 2016
A St Albans road was closed for about half an hour this morning after three cars were involved in an accident.
It happened at about 09:20 on the junction between St Albans Road and Cross Lane.
A female in her 50s was treated at the scene for chest pains and was taken by ambulance to Watford Hospital. Her condition is not thought to be life threatening.
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'I will pay any EFL Trophy fine myself'published at 11:07 British Summer Time 5 October 2016
Manager Nathan Jones says he will pay any fine Luton Town may have incurred in the EFL Trophy 2-0 win over West Brom.
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