A man has been charged with the murder of a man following an alleged assault at a Bedford hotel at the weekend.

Police were called to the Grafton Hotel in the town centre on Saturday night after reports of trouble at the bar.

Mark Munday (pictured), 48, from Kempston was taken to hospital but died on Sunday.

Nigel Williams, 39, from Olney, is due to appear before Luton magistrates today.

Image source, Family photo

The Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, says one private company will run everything on the proposed Cambridge to Oxford line, through Bedford and Milton Keynes.

Mr Grayling said: "This is a much more important corridor than many others. This is a place where we're going to be developing science and business and housing for the future. We need a commuter railway at the heart of it as quickly as we can."

The news came as the government announced it was to make Network Rail share control of track maintenance with the private train operating companies, in what's being seen as the biggest shake-up of the rail network in 20 years.

Jane Killick
BBC Three Counties Radio

The ground floor of High Wycombe Rugby Football Club has been severely damaged by a fire overnight.

About 20 firefighters were called at 00:35 to the building in Kingsmead Road and were able to put out the blaze. 

Image source, Google

Kate Kinsella
BBC Look East weather

A very misty and murky start with some very dense patches of fog.

Winds are light, so the mist and fog will be slow to lift, and it will remain cloudy, although it may be brighter further east.

Feeling chilly, with a top temperature of 9C (48F).

Watch my full forecast:

Jane Killick
BBC Three Counties Radio

Welcome to Tuesday 6th December on Local Live for the three counties.

I'll be keeping you up to date with all the latest developments, including a full weather forecast coming next.

A statue of singer David Bowie will go up in the town where he first performed as Ziggy Stardust after a crowdfunding campaign.

A village pub made famous by the visit of China's President Xi Jinping and David Cameron is bought by Chinese investors.

West Brom and Watford are charged by the Football Association for failing to control their players during Saturday's game.

New MK Dons manager Robbie Neilson says the League One strugglers have the potential to reach the Premier League.

Nikki Jenkins
BBC Local Live

Scroll back for all the news of the day, some of it sad: the death of a former Bedford Modern school boy "who was as charming as he was bright";  and of a young vicar who was hoping for great things in her first job since leaving St Paul's Cathedral.

But there's been good news too - especially for Bowie fans who've crowdsourced the money needed for a statue in his honour. Campaigner David Stopps, said: "It's absolutely fantastic. It's been a Biblical 40 days. The bottom line now is that the statue will happen."

We can all drink to that, but if you're in the prime minister's local pub, you might come across a few more unusual "characters! than normal now it's been bought out by the Chinese. Here's a handy translation.

Gan bei 🍻 and we're back from 8.00 tomorrow.

Nikki Jenkins
BBC Local Live

The Plough at Cadsden hit the headlines late last year when then Prime Minister David Cameron took China’s President Xi Jinping there for a pint of ale and a classic British fish and chip supper. 

It's the closest pub to Chequers, the prime minister’s country residence, and since has become quite at tourist attraction for Chinese visitors.

Image source, PA

That seems likely to continue now it's been sold to the Chinese investment group, SinoFortone and it seems not only are they keen to broker international relations over a pint, but they hope to export the "English Pub Concept" too.  

Image source, Google

Christie and Co, who brokered the deal, believe that Asian investors are becoming more interested in UK markets, particularly hotels, licensed and leisure.Dr Peter Zhang, managing director of SinoFortone Investment, added: "We are so excited about this new strategic partnership and adventure, the English pub concept is growing very fast in China, and it's the best way culturally to link people from different countries and build friendships.

"We see bigger opportunities, namely countries lying between China and Europe, in where we believe we could also export the UK brand internationally."

Gail Sanderson
BBC Three Counties Radio

Bose sound equipment with a retail value of £200,000 has been stolen from a vehicle at Toddington Services on the northbound M1. 

Approximately 20 pallets of equipment were taken at some time between 15:15 on Saturday 26 November and 22:00 on Sunday 27 November, while the driver took a designated break.

Image source, Google

Selina Bland, from the Crime Service Team, said: “Toddington Services is obviously very busy, and so if you were there between the times mentioned and saw anything suspicious, or if you have been offered any Bose equipment for sale which you believe to be suspicious... please let us know. 

"This is a large scale theft and someone out there knows where this equipment is."

Nikki Jenkins
BBC Local Live

Image source, Ellie Bagshaw

There has been an outpouring of praise for Matt Smith, the former Bedford Modern School student, whose body was discovered on an Oxbridge University skiing trip yesterday morning.

He'd was a pupil at Bedford for 10 years, achieving three A*s before going on to study History at St John's College, Oxford.

Headmaster Michael Hall said: "It is with great sorrow that we have learnt of Matt’s sudden and tragic death. I would like to express my sincere condolences to Matt’s family on behalf of all the BMS community, but especially his teachers who remember him so fondly."

Jon Searle, his RS teacher described him as "intelligent; hardworking; insightful; popular; and thoroughly involved in the wider life of the school. Given all these qualities, it is probably his infectious and wicked sense of humour which will be missed the most."

Head of English, Stephen Bywater, called him the "perfect student; diligent, determined, conscientious, a genuine academic but one, with his ready smile, who was as charming as he was bright..."

Mr Smith was found by friends at the Val Thorens resort. He was attending the annual Varsity ski trip which has been a tradition since 1921.

Julie Reinger
BBC Look East weather

A dry night with widespread frost and fog, it could be freezing fog in places, as temperatures fall to around -2C (28F).

It’ll be a cold start to Tuesday with the fog slow to clear and in parts of the region it could linger all day.

Where the fog eventually lifts it’ll generally be cloudy with the chance of a few sunny intervals and highs of 8C (46F).

Jane Killick
BBC Three Counties Radio

The man who died following an incident in a Bedford bar at the weekend has been named. 

Mark Munday, 48, from Kempston, died in hospital yesterday after he was involved in an altercation in the Grafton Hotel on Saturday evening. Police were called at approximately 23:30 to reports that a man had been assaulted in the bar area of the hotel on Midland Road.

Image source, Bedfordshire Police

An investigation was launched by the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, and a 39-year-old man, from Buckinghamshire, has been arrested on suspicion of murder. He is currently in police custody for questioning.   

Police have repeated their appeal for anyone who may have seen what happened, or who may have any information to get in touch by dialling 101 and quoting Operation Overthorpe, or anonymously on Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

The sudden and unexpected death of a new vicar in Tring has come as a hard blow to parishoners.

Reverend Sarah Eynestone, 41, had been in post for just six months after moving from her job as a chaplain at St Paul's Cathedral.

Image source, Graham Lacdao, St Paul’s Cathedral

Reverend Eynstone was found dead in bed on Thursday morning at her vicarage home in Aldbury.

The Tring Team leader, the Reverend Huw Bellis, described her as a "fantastic colleague, full of hope for what she might achieve in her new parish.

"She was a fully loved member of the community and the village in particular are hard hit by her loss."

Wycombe Wanderers forward Scott Kashket signs a new contract until the end of the 2018-19 season.

Nikki Jenkins
BBC Local Live

The RSPCA is trying to trace the owner of dog who may have been used in a dog fight.

The dog, a female terrier cross was found dead close to Sainsbury’s supermarket by Cherry Tree Lane and Holtsmere Lane in Hemel Hempstead on 26 November.

RSPCA inspector Stephanie Law said: "It looks like she suffered a lot before she died which is terrible. The dog was microchipped so we know she was called Lilly but her owner's details aren't up to date." 

The dog was about two years old, mainly white with brown ears.

Jane Killick
BBC Three Counties Radio

Image source, Hertfordshire Police

Police are appealing to members of the public to help trace Billy Doherty.

The 17-year-old, from Aldykes in Hatfield, is wanted for assault, robbery, anti-social behaviour offences and for failing to appear at court.

Anyone who has seen the teenager, or who knows of his whereabouts, should contact the Hertfordshire Constabulary non-emergency number 101.

Nikki Jenkins
BBC Local Live

It was an all or nothing deal - but a Kickstarter campaign to raise £100,000 for a musical statue of David Bowie in Aylesbury town centre has hit its target with less than a day to go.

Why Aylesbury? Well this is the town where the Hunky Dory was first played and where his revolutionary alter-ego Ziggy Stardust first took to stage. 

Bowie played two seminal gigs at the Friars music venue (pictured) in September 1971 and January 1972.

Image source, Getty Images

The proposed statue of Bowie as his Ziggy Stardust character will be cast from coloured bronze, a new process, and will sing "on the hour every hour" randomly playing one of the artists 2,000 tracks.

The artwork, designed by sculptor Andrew Sinclair, external, will use the mask taken from Bowie's face during the filming of The Man who Fell to Earth to create an exact likeness.

Image source, David Stopps

The statue is due to stand under the arches in the Market Square which Bowie referenced in Five Years, the opening track of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders from Mars album.