Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Local performers have been paying tribute to the creator of some of our best-loved TV comedy series, Jimmy Perry, who has died at the age of 93.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Hi-de-Hi! actress Ruth Madoc, who lived in the St Albans area and who met Perry at the Watford Palace, said: "He was my great, great friend... he will be sorely missed.

"He understood comedy, and the comedy that he produced and wrote will stand the test of time. Lots of generations to come will love it still." 

Brigid Larmour, the artistic director of the Watford Palace theatre, where Perry led a weekly rep from 1956 to 1964, tweeted that it was "sad to say goodbye to a comedy genius" who "gave so much" to the Palace.

While Allo Allo! actress and Gordon Craig Theatre patron Vicki Michelle tweeted a photograph of herself with Perry, external, and wrote: "So sad we have lost #JimmyPerry a brilliant comedy writer & true gentleman. He leaves us such a legacy."   

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

A jury has been selected at Luton Crown Court for the trial of a man who is accused of murdering his partner at their home in Newton Leys, Milton Keynes.

However, the trial will not hear evidence until tomorrow afternoon.

Image source, South Beds News Agency

Paul Hemming, 43, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his partner Natalie Hemming, 31, between 30 April and 3 May this year.

He has also pleaded not guilty to obstructing the coroner of Buckinghamshire in the execution of his duty, by preventing him from holding an inquest into Ms Hemming's death, and not guilty to a third charge of preventing the lawful and decent burial of her body.

The body of Ms Hemming, a mother of three children aged three, six and ten, was found in woodland at Chandlers Cross in Hertfordshire.

The trial is expected to last around two weeks. 

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Bucks County Council leader Martin Tett is due at the House of Lords this afternoon to challenge an "insultingly low" offer of money to communities "blighted" by HS2, the council has said.

Image source, PA

A couple of weeks ago the government announced it had allocated £15m for its Community and Environment Fund (CEF) - to be split between Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire.

The fund is intended to enhance community facilities, improve access to the countryside and protect the environment along the train line's route.

Mr Tett has already said that as things stand, this money would "virtually have no impact" as Buckinghamshire alone already has a list of community projects which total more than £20m.

He said: "The announcement is terribly disappointing and implies that the government just hasn't grasped the sheer scale of the disruption HS2 will cause to people's lives and businesses in Buckinghamshire." 

You can watch the High Speed Rail Bill Select Committee meeting live on Parliamentlive.tv, external.

Georgey Spanswick, who currently presents BBC Local Radio's Friday 19:00-22:00 show, will front it five days a week when regular host Mark Forrest stands down in February.

Georgey, who currently also hosts the breakfast show on BBC Radio York, said: “I’ve loved presenting the Friday evening show for the last year and a bit. 

"So to be able to present the show five nights a week is fantastic."

Mark Forrest, who's moving on after presenting the programme from Monday to Thursday since it replaced regional shows in 2013, said: "I'm proud of the show we have produced for the last four years and I'm pleased to be moving on when the audience figures indicate the show is in great shape."

The evening show is broadcast on all 39 BBC Local Radio stations in England.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

A man has died after the car he was driving went into the back of lorry that had stopped to assist with an earlier crash.

Bedfordshire Police said there was a three-vehicle collision on the eastbound carriageway of the A421, close to the junction with Beancroft Road near Marston Moretaine, at about 19:40 on Friday.

An HGV and a Mazda stopped to assist, but about 10 minutes after the initial collision, a Mercedes collided with the stationary HGV. 

The driver of the Mercedes, a man in his 40s from Milton Keynes, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed either of the crashes to get in contact.

Luke Ashmead
BBC Three Counties Radio sport

The big question now is who's going to manage the team next. The short answer is "I don't know".

Image source, Getty Images

The front runner is former Leeds United manager Steve Evans. I have to say I'm scratching my head with that one, but then again I'm never surprised about what happens in football.

Other names include the number two at the moment, Richie Barker (pictured), who's in temporary charge, then there's Ian Holloway, Steve Cotterill and Nigel Adkins, all of whom have had experience with lower league football. Bury's David Flitcroft is another young manger who could come in and do a job.

However, it's not necessarily about which manager the football club wants, it's about which manager is prepared to work for a football club that has, let's say, limited resources for the size of stadium and the size of the town that it lives in, and a recruitment department that's maybe not 100% the best in this country.

Luke Ashmead
BBC Three Counties Radio sport

As a sports reporter I've been very aware of what MK Dons fans have been thinking about the recent situation at the club.

Image source, Getty Images

There was certainly a section that felt it was time for a change but there was also another section that, while they had some sympathy for Karl Robinson and appreciated everything he'd done, also wanted him to leave.

But there was, and still is, a huge section of supporters that feel the issues of what is happening at the club go much deeper than Robinson.

They feel his passion and commitment to the club was something they wanted to keep, and that the issues lay with recruitment and the budget.

Luke Ashmead
BBC Three Counties Radio sport

Saturday's post-match interview after defeat to Southend was tough, because I think Karl Robinson knew that it was his last interview as manager of MK Dons.

Image source, Getty Images

I think his departure was inevitable - of the last 13 games at home there were 10 defeats and three draws. You can't go on like that.

You felt that if he'd won the last two home games, some of the football was good and he might have turned it round - but after a lacklustre performance on Saturday I couldn't see anything other than him leaving. 

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

It's time for a heart-warming story for a rather grey looking Monday morning.

Bucks Fire and Rescue has posted, external these pictures on its Twitter account, showing how it was able to rescue a cow from some mud at the side of the River Thames in Little Marlow yesterday.

The animal had to be sedated by a vet but you'll be pleased to know it was "later able to walk off" with the farmer. 

Image source, Bucks Fire and Rescue

Image source, Bucks Fire and Rescue

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

In case you missed it - here's Greg Rutherford's Cha Cha Cha from Saturday night's Strictly Come Dancing. It was described by the judges as "very stiff", "very pigeon-toed" and that he "didn't look comfortable or confident".

The Woburn Sands athlete said he had been "trying so hard all week" but had "not been retaining" the steps.

Personally, I thought his shirt was a step up from last week's floral affair, and the main thing is that he's through to next week's Halloween special.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

A man is due to stand trial at Luton Crown Court today, accused of murdering his partner at their home in Milton Keynes.

Image source, South Beds News Agency

Paul Hemming, 42, is accused of killing Natalie Hemming, 31, at their home in Newton Leys between 30 April and 4 May. 

The mother of three was reported missing at the start of May and her body was found three weeks later in woodland at Chandlers Cross, in Hertfordshire.

Mr Hemming has denied murder, preventing the lawful burial of her body, and obstructing the coroner.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

I think it's fair to say - as most of the Strictly Come Dancing judges have already said it - that the Cha Cha Cha wasn't really Greg Rutherford's dance.

His performance on Saturday night scored him 24 points, leaving him second from bottom on the leader board, with only Ed Balls below him. It looked like he might have booked a place in the dance off, rather than in next week's episode.

His look in Sunday night's results show said it all - he seemed truly shocked that Daisy Lowe and Lesley Joseph would compete to stay in the show rather than him.

Afterwards he admitted he was "genuinely surprised" not to hear his name.

"I cannot express how thankful I am for all the votes," he tweeted, external.

He then promised to "come back batter".

I think you're a bit confused Greg - it's Strictly, not Bake Off.

Nick Coffer
BBC Three Counties Radio

Yesterday we heard the sad news that Jimmy Perry, creator of some of TV's most popular comedy series, had died, aged 93.

Image source, Getty Images

What you may not know is that he ran the Palace Theatre in Watford for many years from the mid-1950s, as part of a small repertory company.

Among the aspiring performers who appeared there was Ruth Llewellyn, who would later become Ruth Madoc, the indomitable Gladys Pugh in Hi-de-Hi. After he left, he continued to use people from the theatre as extras in his shows, such as Dad's Army.  

Theatre historian Ian Scleater told me: "He liked to keep in touch with his old friends and give them walk on parts." 

But running the theatre then was still a struggle.

Mr Scleater said: "He didn't have a particularly happy time here because the theatre was running at a loss and he lost a lot of his own personal fortune keeping it going.

"It was round about 1964 that he persuaded Watford Borough Council to take it over and operate it."

Ollie Bayliss
BBC Three Counties Radio

The number of violent assaults on ambulance staff in our region have almost doubled in the last five years.

Image source, East of England Ambulance Service

There were more than 300 attacks on staff working for our regions' two services last year alone - the East of England Ambulance Service said there were a reported 195 assaults on their staff last year and the South Central Ambulance service which covers Buckinghamshire said they had 111. 

Over the last five years there has been a 80% increase in attacks our area which is in line with the picture nationally.

The highest number of attacks occur on a Saturday night just before midnight. Alcohol and drugs are listed as two of the biggest contributing factors.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

The fire service and Herts Police had to deal with a large straw stack fire in a field between Cottered and Buntingford last night as this video posted by the police, external on social media shows.

The fire service said it left the hay bales with the farmer once the blaze was under control.

Herts Police tweeted, external that it was being treated as arson.  

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Austin

Lewis Hamilton cut his championship points deficit to his Brackley-based Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg as he cruised to a comfortable victory in the United States Grand Prix.

Hamilton's first win since the German Grand Prix in July puts him 26 points behind his Mercedes team-mate with 75 available in the remaining three races.

Image source, Getty Images

Rosberg finished second after recovering a position lost to Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo at the start.

The world champion, from Stevenage, has now won 50 races in his career, with only Alain Prost (51) and Michael Schumacher (91) having won more than that number in the history of the sport.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

As we told you on Friday, when Milton Keynes Dons last won at home, David Cameron was still prime minister, many people thought Brexit was unthinkable, nobody had heard of Honey G and Ed Balls was still thought of as a serious politician.

Their last victory at Stadium MK was on 5 March - when they beat QPR 2-0.

Image source, Getty Images

Speaking after the 3-0 loss to Southend on Saturday, manager Karl Robinson has said he shared "everyone's frustrations" and everyone was "in a low place".

"Certain players are too weak - mentally and physically too weak," he said.

"It affects my life, but I don't think it affects certain players' lives. You have to be responsible for your own actions as well. It is not all about the players.

"Me and the chairman will have a chat on Sunday. If it is to be [leaving the club] then I want to say thank you for everyone who has supported me over the last six and a half years."

As we now know - the outcome of that conversation was for Robinson to leave the club.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Karl Robinson - who yesterday left the MK Dons - had been in charge of the club since his appointment in May 2010 - at the time he was the Football League's youngest boss at 29-years-old.

Image source, Getty Images

He was the third longest-serving manager in all four divisions, with only Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and Exeter manager Paul Tisdale having been in post longer.

Announcing his departure, the club's statement said, external: "Robinson fully embraced and immersed himself in MK Dons and Milton Keynes itself, which was reflected in his close relationship with staff at the club and its supporters. 

"However, the start to the League One campaign has been disappointing with results this season not matching the desired standard. Therefore, chairman Pete Winkelman and Robinson have agreed it is in the best interest of both parties to go their separate ways.

"Everyone at MK Dons would like to thank Karl for his immense contribution - he will always remain a respected and significant figure at Stadium MK."

BBC Sport

Manager Karl Robinson has left MK Dons "by mutual consent", with the club one point and two places above the League One relegation zone after 15 games.

Image source, Getty Images

Robinson, 36, has been in charge at the Dons since May 2010, winning promotion to the Championship in May 2015, but was unable to maintain their second-tier status the following season.

Saturday's 3-0 home defeat by Southend extended the winless run to four games.

Head of coaching Richie Barker will take temporary charge of the team.

Liverpudlian Robinson said in his final post-match interview that he would not walk away from the job, but that it was chairman Pete Winkleman's decision. He left following a crisis meeting with the chairman on Sunday. 

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

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

This morning the main news is that MK Dons' manager Karl Robinson has left the club by mutual consent - we'll take a look at the build-up to this and who's in the frame to take over.

Image source, Getty Images

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 us, tweet us, external or contact us via Facebook, external.