Strike-hit rail operator Southern lodges a legal appeal in a bid to prevent further industrial action.

Tony Fisher
BBC Three Counties Radio

A man who arrived at Luton railway station expecting to meet an underage girl for sex, only to be confronted by paedophile hunters, has been convicted of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming. 

Image source, South Beds News Agency

Mark Porter, 55, from Amersham Hill in High Wycombe, thought he would be greeted by a 14-year-old virgin called Jenny.

Instead he was caught in a sting operation by Dunstable campaigners Neil and Katie Ivall, Luton Crown Court heard.

Image source, South Beds News Agency

He was bailed by the judge and is due to be sentenced on 27 January.

Julie Reinger
BBC Look East weather

A dry start to the night but it will turn cloudier with some patchy rain and drizzle spreading eastwards later. It’ll be mild and frost free with lows of 8C (46F).

Saturday will get off to a cloudy, misty and damp start with outbreaks of light rain and drizzle. During the afternoon some more persistent rain will move in from the west, turning heavy at times with highs of 14C (57F).

You can find further details on the forecast where you live on BBC Weather.  

BBC Sport

It's been a busy afternoon for sport... and Bedford athlete Paula Radcliffe has said there is now evidence that the Russians were engaged in '"a win at all costs fraud". 

Her comments come after a report has claimed more than 1,000 Russians - including Olympic medallists - benefited from a state-sponsored doping programme between 2011 and 2015. 

Image source, Getty Images

She said: "They have to accept what's there, they have to show that they are really changing things and hings will not be able to happen like this again."

She added: "It's frightening, 'cos it shows that all of those people must have known what was going on.

Geoff Doyle
BBC Three Counties Radio sport

It's the "biggest shock that could have ever happened," - that's the response from Bedford Olympian Gail Emms after UK Sport took the decision to cut all of Badminton's funding. 

She says the team "over achieved" in the Rio Games and were going for Tokyo. 

But to go from £5m worth of funding to "nothing, I can't understand. Someone needs to tell me what's going on there", she added. 

Image source, Getty Images

Liz Nicholl, CEO of UK Sport, says the decision to cut funding was not taken lightly.

"We would like to invest in every sport, but the reality is we have to prioritise to protect and enhance the medal potential," she said.

Geoff Doyle
BBC Three Counties Radio sport

The decision to cut Badmington funding for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo has been met with shock by some of the biggest names in the sport. 

Badmington England say it's "incomprehensible" and Bedford's Olympic Silver Medallist, Gail Emms tweeted that it's "disgraceful behaviour."

Geoff Doyle
BBC Three Counties Radio sport

Badminton, which has its headquarters in Milton Keynes, will not get any funding for the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020. 

The decision by UK Sport funding comes despite Marcus Ellis and Chris Langridge winning bronze to secure Britain's first men's doubles medal at Rio this year. 

Image source, Getty Images

Badminton previously had its funding cut by the organisation after London 2012 after no players managed the minimum fourth to eighth-placed finish which had been targeted. 

Badminton England chief executive Adrian Christy said he was "staggered" by the "incomprehensible" decision remove the sport's funding.  

Geoff Doyle
BBC Three Counties Radio sport

Watford manager Walter Mazzarri believes the next four weeks could define their season. 

The Hornets take on Everton tomorrow and then have five more games over the Christmas and New Year period. 

Mazzarri says this period will be crucial. "The next six games will probably decide our future, whether we will play in a certain way, whether we are going to be up or whether we are going to be struggling more."

Image source, Getty Images

Phil Shepka
BBC Sport

Two teams that need no introduction to each other are AFC Wimbledon and MK Dons.

The story of how the clubs intertwine is well documented, but takes its roots from 2002 when second-tier side Wimbledon were without a permanent home and deep in financial uncertainty.

Image source, Getty Images

A consortium led by Pete Winkelman decided to take the club from south London to Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire - after having the controversial move approved by an independent commission.

Ahead of the club meeting for the first time in the league - read my full article.

Kate Bradbrook
BBC Look East

Jack Kay, from Gosmore, jailed for the death of his friend, now has to "live with the consequences to drink and drive". 

That's according to PC Shona Gillen after he was sentenced today at Cambridge Crown Court. 

She said: "If your designated driver has been drinking do not get in the car with them, get a taxi or call home. 

"Any parent, even at 03:00, would rather come and pick you up than be woken by a knock on the door by a police officer " and be confronted "with devastating news".

The friend of an aspiring young golfer killed in a car crash has been jailed for 18 months for causing his death.

Football Focus talks to AFC Wimbledon boss Neal Ardley and one of the club's founding members, Marc Jones, before their team's match with MK Dons.

The owners of Luton Town Football Club complete the purchase of the land where they want to build a new stadium.

Angry panto fans slam former X Factor finalist Stacey Solomon for reading lines from a clipboard.

BBC Sport explores the volution of MK Dons and AFC Wimbledon, intrinsically linked to the rise and fall of Wimbledon FC.

Kate Bradbrook
BBC Look East

After the sentencing of Jack Kay, the man who killed his friend Jack Mudd in a driving incident, Mr Mudd's father said on the day his son died the family were "handed our own life sentence."

Dave Mudd said: "We will never recover from our loss, our perfect family life was destroyed forever."

He stated that "Jack lost his life for the cost of a taxi fare. We would appeal to anyone having a drink... don't get behind the wheel of a car." 

The family is also "working hard to continue his passion for golf" and have so far raised £25,000 to have an academy at Knebworth golf club built in his name. 

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

We've been comparing the price of some of the pantomimes in the Three Counties, just to see how much it would set you back to see a variety of stars from the soaps and reality TV who are treading the boards.

It comes after Stacey Solomon made her debut as Fairy Bowbells in the panto Dick Whittington in Milton Keynes... and read from a clipboard. 

Image source, MK Theatre

• Milton Keynes Theatre comes out the most expensive with top prices tickets costing £43.50
• Next is the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, as seeing Aladdin could set you back £34 
• At the Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage watching Peter Pan, the most expensive seats are £23.50
• And finally if you want to see Aladdin at the Grove Theatre in Dunstable you'll pay £25

Kate Bradbrook
BBC Look East

A man from Hertfordshire who killed his friend in a car crash has been jailed.

Image source, Hertfordshire Police

Jack Kay, 20, of Preston Road, Gosmore, was driving a car which overturned in Hitchin in October last year, killing 18-year-old Jack Mudd (pictured).

Kay, who pleaded guilty at Cambridge Crown Court to causing death by careless driving while over the alcohol limit, was given an 18 month sentence of which he must serve nine months.

He has also been disqualified from driving for two years and must do an extended test to get his licence back.

Simon Oxley
BBC Three Counties Radio

Two men who appeared at Luton Crown Court, via video link, have denied the murder of a teenager who was shot at a house in Milton Keynes in September. 

Mohamed Noor, 33, from Milton Keynes, has entered a guilty plea of manslaughter, while Albert Prempeh, 35, will stand trial for murder. 

Suhaib Mohammed,19, died shortly after he was shot in Osprey Close.

Image source, South Beds News Agency

Both men have been remanded in custody and are next due in court on 17 February.

Luke Ashmead
BBC Three Counties Radio sport

It's going to be an interesting game at Stadium MK tomorrow as Milton Keynes Dons will host Wimbledon in League One. 

This is the first league meeting between the clubs since the old Wimbledon moved to MK in 2003.

Image source, Getty Images

It's also the first home game in charge for new Dons manager Robbie Neilson.