Luke Ashmead
BBC Three Counties Radio sport

MK Dons have made another signing.

This time Harvey Barnes, external is on his way from Leicester City. 

The 19-year-old midfielder has joined on loan the day after Robbie Muirhead was announced as Robbie Neilson's first signing. 

Barnes could make his debut in this weekend's home game against Northampton Town and says he "can't wait to get out there and start playing".

Image source, MK Dons

Manager Robbie Neilson said: "He's another one who is really hungry and energetic. I'm sure he'll excite people."

Kate Bradbrook
BBC Look East

The jury in the trial of Ian Stewart, charged with murdering his fiancé Helen Bailey, has heard from Sgt Stephen Oliphant who discovered her body in a cesspit at their Royston home.

He said he saw her arm when he "prodded and poked the crust" of the surface of the cess with a hoe, after a contractor was brought in to empty the old well beneath the garage.

Image source, Hertfordshire police

In the witness box Mr Oliphant said at the start of one search Mr Stewart enquired if it was necessary, because police had been there the previous week.

Mr Stewart, 56, denies murder, preventing a lawful burial, fraud and three counts of perverting the course of justice.

The case continues. 

Simon Oxley
BBC Three Counties Radio

Four Luton men accused of putting hundreds of stickers on lampposts discouraging Muslims to vote in the 2015 general election have had the case against them dropped. 

The stickers said Muslims shouldn't take part, because voting for man-made law goes against their religion.

Ibrahim Anderson and Zaiur Rahman, both 39, and Mohammed Istiak Alamgir, 37, were due to face trial next month along with a fourth man, Anees Farooq, 29, on a charge of criminal damage around east London.

However, today the prosecutor at the Old Bailey said it wasn't in the public interest to proceed and verdicts of not guilty were entered against all four.

Alamgir and Rahman are already facing jail over their involvement in a series of meetings encouraging support for Islamic State. 

They were caught after a covert officer infiltrated the Luton branch of the banned group Al-Muhajiroun and secretly recorded speeches. The two men and others will be sentenced on a date to be fixed.

Meanwhile, Anderson is currently serving a three-year prison sentence for encouraging people to support so-called Islamic State. 

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

Yesterday we reported Hertfordshire Police was trying to track down Danny Brown to claim his "prize". 

He was wanted on recall to prison and in connection with allegations of domestic abuse and shoplifting.

Officers tweeted: "He needs to collect his competition prize. We've tried to tell him but he doesn't want to know. 

"He's won some cool stuff, free ride in a police car to a remand court, free stay with full board at a selected prison."

Well, today we have an update...

Tony Fisher
BBC Three Counties Radio

A Hertfordshire firefighter and close friend of Mitchell Bailey has just told me he "feels sorry" for both the victim's family and the fire service after the 58-year-old grandfather was killed by a fire engine in Royston on Wednesday. 

The man, who wants to remain anonymous, was laying flowers by the side of the road where he died and called the incident "tragic". 

He said the "great family man" was "loving", had a "great dry sense of humour " and it was "very sad" what happened. 

He added it would affect both the family and the fire service "for the rest of their lives".

A minute's silence will be held at Wycombe Wanderers, external tomorrow so the club can pay respects to Monty Seymour, their president of 50 years who passed away last week aged 102. 

Former stars Tony Horesman, John Delaney and Keith Ryan will attend, so every decade of the side can be represented from the 1950s onwards. 

Members of his family have also been invited and all Chairboys players will wear black armbands before the home clash against Luton.

Image source, Wycombe Wanderers

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

A driver of a moped tried to pull a woman out of her car, external in a "horrific ordeal" in Luton, which left her "shaken up", according to police.

Officers said it happened as a woman was driving her black Vauxhall Corsa along Latimer Road and stopped at the junction with New Town Street on Monday night.

Image source, Google

While she waited, the driver of a white moped with black detailing opened a door and tried to pull her out. 

After a short struggle, she managed to push him away. Police are appealing for witnesses.

Kate Bradbrook
BBC Look East

Just as it started, the trial over the death of Helen Bailey was briefly halted after witness Sgt Nicole Goodyear fainted at St Albans Crown Court. 

The good news is she now seems OK and the hearing is continuing.

Kate Bradbrook
BBC Look East

The trial of Ian Stewart, 56, who denies murdering Hertfordshire author Helen Bailey has resumed this morning. 

It was halted after Mr Stewart was too ill to attend St Albans Crown Court for the past two days.

Sgt Nicole Goodyear is now giving evidence regarding the search of the Royston house after Ms Bailey went missing. 

In court she said Mr Stewart was "very interested and inquisitive" watching our every single move, and appeared "very shocked" when she found Ms Bailey's passport at their home.   

Tony Fisher
BBC Three Counties Radio

And the countdown begins...

I'm now at Roysia Middle School in Royston where it's nearly launch time for the Ohbot to go nearly into space. 

The school's gathered to see it hopefully being launched into the stratosphere, between 12 and 62 miles up (20 and 100 km). 

League One side MK Dons sign Leicester City midfielder Harvey Barnes on loan until the end of the season.

Tony Fisher
BBC Three Counties Radio

Tributes have been paid to Mitchell Bailey, the 58-year-old from Royston who was knocked down and killed by a fire engine in the town two days ago. 

The headteacher of Roman Way First School, Emma Edwards, where he was a governor for more than 20 years, says he was a "much-loved and respected" man who had "such an important role in the school".

She says he'll be "fondly remembered for his lovely sense of humour, being lovely with the children and who gave his time so regularly". 

It's a "huge loss for everybody and the school community" she told me. 

The school is now looking at ways of commemorating his life.   

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

The chief fire officer of Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, Roy Wilsher, has sent his sympathy to the family and friends of Mitchell Bailey, 58, who was killed when a fire engine overturned on a Royston roundabout on Wednesday.

He said the service was "supporting the police in all their work", adding the incident was "affecting the crew mentally".

Hertfordshire Police is investigating what happened and the fire service is also carrying out its own internal probe.

After a bitterly cold night, and a frosty morning, the idea of a duvet day was very tempting.

How cold was it for you?  BBC East weatherman Dan Holley's tweet may have the answer.

BBC Business News

The search for a company to take on the £2.75bn contract to build high speed trains for the HS2 rail network got under way on Friday.

The Department for Transport said up to 60 trains, capable of speeds of 225mph (362km/h), were needed.

The contract, which will also involve maintaining the fleet, will be awarded in 2019.

Image source, HS2 Ltd

The trains are for the first phase of the project, due to run between London and Birmingham cutting through Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire.

It is expected to reduce rail times between Birmingham and London by 32 minutes. 

Construction will begin later this year and it will open in 2026.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Later today a robot will be launched into near space in Hertfordshire - yes really.

The Ohbot, external is an easy to programme robot head that's used in schools to teach children about robotics.

Later this morning at Roysia Middle School in Royston, one lucky Ohbot will be sent into the stratosphere for the first time using an expanding balloon.

Lee Agnew
BBC Three Counties Radio

Meanwhile at Luton Crown Court, the trial of a man accused of helping to hide his sister in-law's body in a back garden in the town enters its final stages this morning.

Initially brothers Daniel and Joseph Doherty were on trial, but yesterday Daniel (below) was cleared of all charges.  

Image source, South Beds News Agency

The jury's been told that in 2003 Natalia Wilkanowska was killed by her ex-husband Gerald Doherty during an argument. He committed suicide the same year.

Her body was found in 2015 under builders rubble in the back garden of a house in Icknield Way.

Joseph Doherty, 73, remains on trial and denies perverting the course of justice, obstructing a coroner and preventing her lawful burial.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

The trial of the man accused of murdering Hertfordshire author Helen Bailey is set to resume this morning, after defendant Ian Stewart was too ill to attend for the last two days.

Image source, SWNS

He has denied killing his partner at their Royston home last year.

Police officers are due to give evidence at St Albans Crown Court this morning and witnesses this afternoon include the daughter of Helen Bailey's first husband, John Sinfield.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Yesterday I walked past Vicarage Road in Watford, where fans have been leaving tributes to Graham Taylor who died last week.

The Watford Observer, external has also published the thoughts of Oliver Phillips, the paper's former assistant editor and long-serving Hornets correspondent, on the passing of the man known to fans as Mr Watford.

In it, he reflects on the fact that the man "who never restricted himself to 10 words if there were another 500 lying idle" would never talk to him again.

It's a good read - and more than that - our sports reporter Simon Oxley has called it the "definitive obituary".

Elizabeth Rizzini
BBC Look East weather

There will be some mist and fog patches around this morning, but these will clear to leave a dry and bright day with plenty of blue sky and sunshine. 

Despite this, it will feel rather chilly outside with a high of 6C (43F).

Here's my full forecast...

There are more details on the BBC Weather website.