Summary

  • Live updates for Thursday, 27 October 2016

  1. Family left 'angry and confused' by prisoner deathpublished at 09:49 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    Sam Edwards
    BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

    The family of Terence Ojuederie, the Watford man who was killed in his HMP Peterborough cell by inmate Jordan Palmer, have spoken about their "pain" of dealing with the 42-year-old's death.

    They said: "The bitter feeling at how this could happen in prison, a place we thought Terry would be safe, will remain with us forever, as will the torment of not knowing for sure the truth of what really happened in his cell that night."

    Terrence OjuederieImage source, Cambridgeshire Police

    They described Mr Ojuederie (pictured) as "kind, caring and loving" and said the outcome of the trial left them feeling "angry and confused".

    Palmer is due to be sentenced today after being found guilty of manslaughter, due to diminished responsibility.

  2. Prisoner who killed cellmate with TV to be sentencedpublished at 09:40 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    Sam Edwards
    BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

    An inmate at HMP Peterborough is due to be sentenced today after being found guilty of the manslaughter of his cellmate, due to diminished responsibility.

    Jordan Palmer, 26, attacked 42-year-old Terrence Ojuederie, from Watford, in December. He inflicted fatal injuries by hitting him with a flat screen television.

    Jordan PalmerImage source, Cambridgeshire Police

    In the early hours of 9 December, Palmer rang a buzzer from his cell and told a prison officer he was feeling unwell. After a visit from the officer, Palmer rang the intercom again, just 12 minutes later, saying: "I'm sorry, I don't know what happened."

    The prison officer returned to find Palmer covered in blood, with Mr Ojuederie lying on the floor with horrific injuries.

    He was pronounced dead at the scene.

  3. Bedford MP leading calls to strip former BHS owner of his knighthoodpublished at 09:28 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    Katy Lewis
    BBC Local Live

    MPs will debate later whether the former BHS owner, Sir Philip Green, should be stripped of his knighthood in a motion proposed by Bedford MP Richard Fuller (pictured).

    Richard FullerImage source, Conservative Party

    The collapse of retailer BHS is due to be discussed in Parliament following a highly critical report by the Business and Pension Committees. An amendment was added to that debate, calling for Sir Philip's honour to be cancelled.

    It is believed to be the first time that MPs have debated a motion on whether to annul an honour.

    However, any vote will not be binding. The final decision would be taken by senior civil servants.

  4. Alan Turing and the posthumous pardonspublished at 09:19 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    Katy Lewis
    BBC Local Live

    As the government announces that gay and bisexual men convicted of sexual offences which have now been abolished are to receive a posthumous pardon, we take a look at Alan Turing, whose own posthumous royal pardon inspired the new law.

    • Alan Turing, the Cambridge academic and Bletchley Park codebreaker, was convicted in 1952 of gross indecency with a 19-year-old man
    • He was later chemically castrated and died in 1954 after poisoning himself with cyanide
    • The Sexual Offences Act decriminalised private homosexual acts between men aged over 21 in England and Wales, in 1967. The law was not changed in Scotland until 1980, or in Northern Ireland until 1982
    • Mr Turing received a posthumous royal pardon in 2013 following a Private Member's Bill introduced by Lord Sharkey, strengthening the calls for a wider pardon
    Alan TuringImage source, Science Photo Library

    Lord Sharkey, a Lib Dem peer, said the latest government announcement was "a momentous day for thousands of families up and down the UK".

    He said: "It is a wonderful thing that we have been able to build on the pardon granted to Alan Turing during the coalition."

  5. Thousands of gay men to be pardoned under move dubbed 'Turing law'published at 08:43 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    BBC News UK

    The government has announced that thousands of gay and bisexual men who were convicted of sexual offences which have now been abolished are to be posthumously pardoned.

    Alan TuringImage source, Getty Images

    The announcement honours a government commitment made after the Bletchley Park codebreaker and Cambridge academic Alan Turing was pardoned in 2013.

    Dubbed the Turing law, it will mean formal pardons for those convicted over consensual same-sex relationships before homosexuality was decriminalised in the UK.

    Those still living will also receive a pardon.

  6. M25 fuel spillage: One lane to remain closed for most of the daypublished at 08:34 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    Katy Lewis
    BBC Local Live

    Earlier we told you that three lanes were closed on the clockwise carriageway of the M25, between J16 for the M40 and J17 at Maple Cross, after a lorry crash had caused 150 litres of diesel to spill onto the road.

    Highways England has now said only one lane remains closed, but that lane and the hard shoulder will stay shut for most of the day to enable contractors to continue working at the scene of the spillage.

    Congestion is currently back to J14 for the A3113 at Heathrow.

    Get the latest updates from BBC Travel.

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  7. Escaped golden eagle rescued from treepublished at 08:31 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    Katy Lewis
    BBC Local Live

    Earlier this week we told you that a golden eagle had escaped from its owner in Rickmansworth, and the public were being asked to keep a look out. 

    We've now heard that the bird, named Sidney, has been rescued from a tree in Buckinghamshire.

    A woman realised he was in a tree in her garden in Loudwater on Tuesday night, as it was being mobbed by a large group of crows.

    A team including the fire brigade, police and a tree surgeon recovered the bird of prey yesterday.

  8. Travel: Three lanes of M25 closed after crash and diesel spillpublished at 08:20 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    Katy Lewis
    BBC Local Live

    Three lanes are currently closed on the clockwise carriageway of the M25, between J16 for the M40 and J17 at Maple Cross.

    A lorry collision in the early hours of this morning caused 150 litres of diesel to be spilled onto the road. 

    One lane remains open but there are long delays.

    Highways England says contractors will reopen the lanes as quickly as possible once the lorry has been removed and the diesel spill has been cleaned up, but we've been advised that the lanes are likely to remain closed for most of this morning’s peak-travel period. 

    Get the latest updates from BBC Travel.

  9. Double murder probe continues in Lutonpublished at 08:08 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    Katy Lewis
    BBC Local Live

    A man arrested on suspicion of two counts of murder is still being questioned by police this morning.

    Essex Close, Luton, murder probeImage source, South Beds News Agency

    The double murder investigation is taking place in Luton after police confirmed they were linking the death of a woman in a property in Essex Close last week, with that of a man whose body was discovered in a bin outside a flat in the same road on Monday evening.

    The woman's death was being treated as unexplained, but police are now investigating whether she was murdered.

  10. Weather: Sunny spells with a few showerspublished at 08:06 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    Elizabeth Rizzini
    BBC Look East weather

    It should stay mostly dry today, with some bright or sunny periods, and only a few showers possible. 

    The brisk breeze will make it feel cool out.

    Maximum temperature: 14C (57F).

    Media caption,

    The weather forecast for 20 October 2016

  11. Welcome back to live updates for Beds, Herts and Buckspublished at 07:58 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    Katy Lewis
    BBC Local Live

    Good morning and welcome to another day of regular live updates of news, sport, weather, travel and more. 

    Just before we left you last night, the news came in that Bedfordshire Police had confirmed it was now investigating a possible double murder in Luton, after a body of a man was found in a bin outside a flat in Essex Close. We'll bring you the latest on that story as it comes in.

    Plus, on the other side of the coin, we'll look at how Barton Le Clay's Candice got on in the Great British Bake Off semi-final last night.

    Candice BrownImage source, Love Productions / BBC

    We'll also see what the weather has in store with a full forecast.

    If you'd like to get in touch, you can email ustweet us, external or contact us via Facebook, external.

  12. Why Kings of Leon love High Wycombepublished at 05:15 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    The American band remember their first ever UK gig, sharing their dressing room with lap dancers at the White Horse in High Wycombe.

    Read More
  13. Cellmate was battered to death with TVpublished at 20:14 British Summer Time 19 October 2016

    A prisoner is convicted of battering his cellmate to death with a flat screen television.

    Read More
  14. Body in bin sparks double murder probepublished at 18:11 British Summer Time 19 October 2016

    A double murder investigation is launched as police link the find of a body in a bin with another death in the same Luton street.

    Read More
  15. Goodbye for nowpublished at 18:05 British Summer Time 19 October 2016

    Alex Pope
    BBC Local Live

    That's it from all the team here at Local Live for Beds, Herts and Bucks. 

    As ever it's been a busy day. We've reported on the double murder investigation in Luton and how a lorry carrying a large amount of skips hit a bridge in Hertford, causing train and road delays. 

    We also reported on the Mars probe landing, made possible by scientists at the Open University in Milton Keynes and Stevenage. 

    But don't forget to tune into BBC One at 20:00 tonight to see if Bedfordshire's very own Candice Brown can make it into the Great British Bake Off final. 

    Last week she was the Star Baker after making a rather proud peacock. 

    Candice BrownImage source, BBC/Love Productions/Tom Graham

    So will she reign supreme in Patisserie Week? 

  16. Some Bletchley Park factspublished at 17:42 British Summer Time 19 October 2016

    Dani Bailey
    BBC Local Live

    To mark the 25th anniversary of Bletchley Park, external being saved from the bulldozers, the historic site has been tweeting, external interesting facts.

    Here are some of the best: 

    • Several bombe machines were named after cartoon characters, including Bambi and Pluto. 
    • Lord of the Rings author J R R Tolkien turned down a job with the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) at Bletchley Park in 1939.
    • A Codebreaker’s starting salary in September 1939 was £600 per annum, which is equivalent to £23,000 today. 
    • Women outnumbered men at Bletchley Park by around three to one.
    • To maintain secrecy visiting VIPs were driven to a nearby town by their drivers then picked up by GC&CS. 
    • When GC&CS staff first arrived in 1938 they had a chef from the Savoy to cook their meals.
    Bletchley ParkImage source, Shaun Armstrong/Mubsta.com
  17. Weather: Showers continuing into this eveningpublished at 17:29 British Summer Time 19 October 2016

    Alex Dolan
    BBC Look East weather

    Further showers will feed in from the North Sea and continue into this evening. 

    There will be light winds, with temperatures down to about 8C (46F).

    Map of the East

    A mainly dry start to the day with sunny spells tomorrow, but scattered showers will develop - turning heavy in places. 

    Highs of 14C (57F).

    You'll find your local forecast at BBC Weather.

  18. It's 25 years since Bletchley Park was savedpublished at 17:26 British Summer Time 19 October 2016

    Dani Bailey
    BBC Local Live

    Today marks 25 years since work started to save the wartime code-breaking centre at Bletchley Park., external

    Bletchley ParkImage source, Shaun Armstrong/Mubsta.com

    A reunion of veterans and a group of local historians led to the drawing up of a plan to save the historic centre.  

    Bombe RebuildImage source, Shaun Armstrong/Mubsta.com

    It was the first time the former staff had gathered together at the site since they left, and for many it was the first time they’d talked about code-breaking with their WW2 colleagues.

    Enigma DisplayImage source, Shaun Armstrong/Mubsta.com

    In 1991 there were plans to knock it down to make way for a housing estate and petrol station.

    Alan Turing slate statueImage source, Shaun Armstrong/Mubsta.com

    Although it took until the late 2000s for the popular Buckinghamshire tourist attraction to become secure.    

  19. No signal from European Schiaparelli Mars landerpublished at 17:18 British Summer Time 19 October 2016

    Jonathan Amos
    Science correspondent, BBC News

    The European Space Agency is still waiting for confirmation that its Schiaparelli probe has landed on Mars.

    The saucer-shaped robot was supposed to have touched down on the Red Planet just before 15:00. 

    A radio transmission that should have allowed scientists to follow the probe to the surface was not received.

    Schiaparelli artworkImage source, ESA

    Controllers hope that satellites in orbit at Mars will have detected it and will shortly be able to confirm that the probe got down safely. 

  20. Man appears in court over Watford deathpublished at 17:16 British Summer Time 19 October 2016

    Lee Agnew
    BBC Three Counties Radio

    A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of Bradley Cresswell, 21, in Watford on 18 September. 

    Ridwaan Shaikh, 22, who appeared before the Old Bailey yesterday, was originally charged with manslaughter but is that has now been changed to murder. 

    He's next due in court on 10 February and a provisional trial date has been set for 24 April.