Kate Bradbrook
BBC Look East

The prosecution in the trial of Ian Stewart, accused of murdering Hertfordshire writer Helen Bailey, said the author was "grossly deceived" by her fiancé, who had been preying on her since they met online.

Mr Stewart is accused of drugging his bride-to-be with sleeping pills before killing her and hiding her body in a cesspit.

Image source, South Beds News Agency

The trial was told the 56-year-old used affection to win his way into Ms Bailey's favour, and later her will.

Stuart Trimmer QC told the court she was "absolutely besotted".

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

The trial continues.

Gareth Ainsworth is charged with misconduct by the Football Association after an incident in Wycombe's defeat by Crewe.

An explosion has damaged a cash point in Flackwell Heath, near High Wycombe.

Thames Valley Police was called to a suspected robbery in Common Road at about 03:30.

The force believed a gas explosion damaged the cash machine, but it is establishing whether any money was taken.

Image source, Google

BBC Weather

There will be some sunny spells today, however some cloud could spread in from the west later this afternoon.

One or two showers may occur, but it will feel mild.

Maximum temperature: 11C (52F),

For the full forecast where you are, visit BBC Weather.

Kate Bradbrook
BBC Look East

The murder trial of the fiancé of Hertfordshire author Helen Bailey has been continuing at St Albans Crown Court.

Ms Bailey, 51, was found dead in a cesspit at her house in Royston in July 2016. She had not been seen since 11 April.

Ian Stewart, 56, is accused of drugging his wife-to-be before suffocating her and throwing her in the pit underneath the couple's garage on Baldock Road.

The prosecution have been giving their closing speech.

They said the killing of Helen Bailey was a "long plan" and a "wicked" act by the accused, adding Ian Stewart was "a liar and an actor".

They claimed the notion two men named Nick and Joe kidnapped the author and brought her back to her Royston home drugged before dumping her in a pit was "quite absurd".

Ms Bailey was "grossly deceived by someone who was praying on her", the prosecution added.

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

The trial continues.

We'll bring you the latest when we get it.

Children discover 'being a butler isn't easy' at a school for servants.

Justin Dealey
BBC Three Counties Radio

People in Berkhamsted are raising thousands of pounds to launch a legal challenge against a multi-storey car park being built in the town. 

Plans for the Lower Kings Road site were approved by Dacorum Borough Council just before Christmas.

But opponents claim the authority failed to demonstrate there was a clear demand for more parking.

Image source, Google

Campaigners say the multi-storey car park will be an "eyesore" and is "unnecessary".

One campaigner, Nick O'Reilly, told me: "We're not anti car parks, but what we want is for the council to show that this car park, in this location, is the correct solution. We don't believe it is."

The council said it was unable to comment.

Jon Kaye
BBC Three Counties Radio

The general secretary of the Unite union, Len McCluskey, is meeting with the president of General Motors (GM) this morning to discuss Vauxhall's future in Luton and the parts division on Toddington Road.

Image source, AP

It's feared thousands of jobs in the UK could be at risk if Vauxhall's owners sell the company to Groupe PSA, which oversees Peugeot and Citroen.

Speaking to Andy Collins on BBC Three Counties Radio, Mr McCluskey said the pair would be having a "frank and open discussion", adding "there will be a number of questions GM's president needs to answer".

GM previously said "there can be no assurance that an agreement will be reached" between itself and PSA.

Last week US carmaker GM reported a loss of $257m (£206m) from its European operations last year.

Lee Agnew
BBC Three Counties Radio

Budget airline Wizz Air is to open its first UK base at London Luton Airport.

The Hungarian airline has been flying planes to Bedfordshire for more than 12 years and mainly operates routes around central and eastern Europe.

Image source, Wizz Air

The company has 27 bases, but this will be its first in Britain. It is currently the second largest carrier at Luton after Easyjet.

As part of the plans it will also create three new routes from Luton to Tel Aviv in Israel, Pristina - the capital of Kosovo - and Kutaisi in Georgia - the only direct connection between Georgia and the UK. 

The new base, which will house one new Airbus A320 aircraft, will create 36 new jobs, the company said.

There's been 22 burglaries in Milton Keynes, external since last Wednesday, according to Thames Valley Police.

Detectives are linking the break-ins, where thieves have forced open a rear window or door. 

They've all taken place between midday and 20:00. 

Witnesses have reported seeing two boys aged between 16 and 17 wearing joggers and hoodies with their faces covered. 

Officers are asking people to make sure their locks are secure and have appealed for anyone with information on the burglaries to come forward.

Good morning and welcome back to regular updates from all of us here at Local Live for Beds, Herts and Bucks.  

Between now and 18:00 we'll be bringing you all your news, sport, travel and weather.

The good news is the sun is already out in Stevenage, as this great photo from BBC Weather Watcher Carlas Garden shows, and it's set to stay this way.

Elizabeth Rizzini
BBC Look East weather

There's plenty of cloud around this morning, with a few mist patches, but all of this will lift and clear, and we'll get some sunshine coming through this afternoon.

Feeling quite pleasant, with a slight chance of some light showers, but you'll be unlucky to catch one.

Top temperature: 11C (52F). 

Get the full forecast where you live, from BBC Weather.

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

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

Our regular updates have now finished until 08:00 tomorrow, but if any news breaks in the meantime it will appear here. 

Have a good night and until tomorrow, adieu. 

Simon Dedman
BBC Essex political reporter

The Conservative MP attempting to oust John Bercow has said he does not believe any Cabinet ministers will support him continuing as Speaker of the House of Commons. 

James Duddridge, who has tabled a "no confidence" motion in the Speaker, declined to name any ministers who he expected to vote against Mr Bercow, but insisted he was not aware of any Cabinet members who opposed his move. 

Image source, Photoshot

The Rochford and Southend East MP took the unusual step after Mr Bercow came under fire for announcing he would bar Donald Trump from addressing Parliament during his planned state visit to the UK.

Asked whether he expected backing from Cabinet ministers, Mr Duddridge told BBC Radio 5 Live's Emma Barnett: "Put it this way, I don't know any Cabinet ministers that aren't supporting me.

"I think some people may abstain. I would expect the prime minister to abstain.

"I had expected David Lidington to abstain given that he's a parliamentary neighbour and kind of chief interlocutor with John Bercow as leader of the Commons."

Lee Agnew
BBC Three Counties Radio

An 83-year-old man from Hertfordshire has been tricked out of £10,000, external, as part of a series of phone scams in the Three Rivers area. 

Police say the man from Chorleywood handed over the money after he received a call from someone claiming his identity had been cloned by bank staff. 

He was instructed to withdraw the maximum amount of money possible from his bank account and hand it to a "security person" waiting outside Chorleywood railway station.

Image source, Thinkstock

Officers are warning people to be "vigilant around unexpected phone calls", because since 1 February they've received nine report of suspicious calls in the areas of Chorleywood, Rickmansworth, Croxley Green and Sarratt.

They're reminding people that "police and banks would never ask you to withdraw money and hand it over to a courier". 

BBC Coventry & Warwickshire Sport

Wasps' Director of Rugby, Dai Young has told BBC Coventry and Warwickshire that tidying up the defensive side of their game has been a priority in training this week 

Image source, Harry Trump/Getty Images

The side haven't won in their last three matches, external and drew the last one 35-35 on Sunday away at Exeter Chiefs. 

However Young says the focus on the defence doesn't mean they will compromise on their attacking style.

Labour MP for Luton South, Gavin Shuker, has confirmed he's due to speak to Greg Clark, the secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy, later.

He wants "clarity on what kind of deal would be in place" if a possible takeover of Luton-based Vauxhall by the makers of Peugeot goes ahead. 

Image source, Getty Images

There's worry UK jobs could be affected if the deal goes through.

Mr Shuker said "we need to be careful not to talk ourselves into a crisis", but wants it known the Luton plant is "one of the most efficient plants in Europe".  

The government says it is going to "continue to make the case for keeping manufacturing in the UK".

Adam Jinkerson
BBC Local Live

Every police force in the East of England saw a rise in hate crime reports following the Brexit vote, a study by the Press Association found.

The figures, recorded between July and September 2016, show a rise on the three month period before the EU referendum on 23 June.

Image source, Getty Images

Here's how the reports break down by counties in the region, ranked by the size of their change...

• Essex - 376 (up 41%)
• Suffolk - 123 (up 37%)
• Hertfordshire - 266 (up 30%)
• Norfolk - 130 (up 25%)
• Thames Valley - 286 (up 20%)    
• Cambridgeshire - 179 (up 9%)
• Bedfordshire - 133 (up 6%)
• Northamptonshire - 79 (up 4%)

Every force in the region, bar Northamptonshire Police, recorded their highest quarterly figures since comparable records began in April 2012.

In total, 14,295 incidents of hate crime were recorded by police forces across the country between July and September - up 27%.

In Dorset, the number of incidents jumped 100% and Nottinghamshire 75%.

Daniel Wainwright
Data unit - English regions

I've been crunching the figures to see how the government's Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme has been fairing at helping first-time home buyers.

I've found the highest number of loans taken per head of population was in Bedford, where the 1,268 loans was equivalent to two in every 100 households.

Between them, the loans came to £62.9m, or £49,416.68 each.

Aylesbury Vale came fifth on the list, where 1,134 loans were taken out. 

Image source, Burgess Von Thunen/Geograph

Central Beds was 10th and then Milton Keynes 20th. 

The least amount of loans handed out in Beds, Herts and Bucks was in the Chilterns, where only 28 loans were taken out.