Carol Abercrombie
BBC Three Counties Radio

Plans have been submitted for a £200m passenger link, external between Luton Airport and the Parkway railway station.

The 2.2km (1.4-mile) automated "mass passenger transit system" has no driver and is a cross between a bus and a train that will run on a track 24 hours a day. 

Image source, LLAL

A new bridge will be built over Airport Way as part of the plans.   

Image source, LLAL

The airport's owner London Luton Airport Limited, wholly-owned by Luton Borough Council, will fund the link under its capital programme. 

Image source, LLAL

It's hoped work will start in late 2017, with it ready for operation by spring 2021.  

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

A number of musical instruments have been stolen from a company in St Albans.

Saxophones, clarinets, trumpets, flutes, piccolos, portable pianos and guitars were taken from South Herts Music Centre on Campfield Road.

Image source, Google

The theft happened between 20:00 on 1 February and 09:50 the next day.

Police want to hear from anyone who may have been offered the items for sale.

Steven McIntosh
Entertainment Reporter

The first trailer for Carpool Karaoke has been released and, not gonna lie, the cast list is pretty impressive.

A celebrity jumping into a car and singing with Buckinghamshire's very own James Corden has been a staple of The Late Late Show since he took over as host in March 2015.

But now it's becoming a TV series in its own right, with new episodes released every week on Apple Music.

The first proper trailer, external gives us a little taste of what to expect from the 16-episode run.

Image source, Apple Music

It seems like cars are so 2016, or the budget just got bigger!

Business Secretary Greg Clark has met Len McCluskey from the Unite union today following the news Vauxhall's owner could be taken over by the owner of Peugeot.

There are fears the takeover, if it goes through, could lead to redundancies in Luton and other Vauxhall sites in the UK.  

Yesterday Mr McCluskey said he wanted to "make certain our government is not sitting on the sidelines, because you can bet your life that the French government will be defending French jobs".

Image source, Getty Images

Following this morning's meeting, a spokesperson for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: "The UK's automotive sector is one of the most productive in the world and we want to see it go from strength to strength.

"The government will continue to make the case for keeping manufacturing in the UK." 

A court hears from a man who claims to have seen author Helen Bailey weeks after she went missing.

BBC Business News

The new owners of Milton Keynes-based Homebase have revealed a £28m loss. 

Wesfarmers, who bought the business for £340m last year, said the half-year pre-tax losses came as it counted the cost of a restructure and launched its Always Low Prices pledge. 

The group owns DIY chain Bunnings in Australia, which opened its first UK store in St Albans a few weeks ago. 

The company is planning to re-brand all 265 of its Homebase stores as Bunnings within five years.  

Tony Fisher
BBC Three Counties Radio

The MP for South West Bedfordshire is demanding answers about why it's taking so long to repair two trains damaged after a landslide near Watford last year.

Image source, South Beds News Agency

The slip led to one London Midland train being derailed and another travelling in the opposite direction clipping it. No-one was seriously hurt.

In recent days at least five morning rush-hour trains were advertised as standing room only when they arrived at Leighton Buzzard. London Midland has blamed this on the ongoing repairs by Siemens.

Andrew Selous, whose Leighton Buzzard constituents are affected, said: "It is not acceptable for it to take a year to repair damaged trains when commuters are suffering so much inconvenience."

Siemens, which is repairing eight carriages on the two trains, has apologised, saying the trains were "damaged significantly" and are needing "bespoke repairs".

A very long carpet being illegally transported is the last straw for a police officer.

A Bedfordshire teenager says her love for tenpin bowling has taken her around the world after being introduced to the sport by her mother.

Lorna Scott, from Houghton Regis will be travelling to the European Youth Championships in Finland with Junior Team England.

Normally the 17-year-old trains four to five times a week for two hours, but this increases leading up to tournaments.

A witness who claimed to have seen Royston author Helen Bailey in Broadstairs, Kent, weeks after she was said to have been killed has admitted to a court he was unsure of the date - and that the alleged sighting could have happened weeks earlier.

The Electra Brown writer was allegedly seen driving a black Range Rover through the seaside town between mid-April and early June last year.

But when cafe owner Edward Farmer was questioned by prosecutor Stuart Trimmer at St Albans Crown Court, he agreed he could have seen Ms Bailey, who had a holiday home in the town, as early as March last year. 

Image source, Hertfordshire Police

Ian Stewart is accused of smothering his drugged bride-to-be on 11 April, before disposing of her remains in a cesspit below their Hertfordshire home. 

Her body and that of her dog Boris were found in July.

Mr Farmer added that the 51-year-old author "appeared to be in the car on her own", despite defence claims she was in the hands of two violent kidnappers named Nick and Joe.

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

The trial continues.

Labour MP for Luton South, Gavin Shuker, has just tweeted his response to the possible takeover of Vauxhall by the group that owns Peugeot.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

A 75-year-old man has been charged with arson after a fire at a flat in Hitchin.

Firefighters were called to Sharps Court in Cooks Way at 14:30 on Monday and rescued a man from the first floor via a balcony. 

He was treated for the effects of breathing in smoke.

The suspect is due to appear before magistrates.

Justin Dealey
BBC Three Counties Radio

This morning I've been outside Vauxhall's head office in Luton. 

Most people wouldn't talk to me, but I did speak to one employee who wanted to remain anonymous. 

He'd worked for Vauxhall for 29 years and said he'd only heard the news about a possible takeover on BBC Three Counties Radio, describing it "like a kick in the stomach".

Image source, Getty Images

He spoke of his "shock, anger and betrayal" at the news, and said hearing about it from a third party was "disgusting, it's demoralising, and no-one knows what's going on". 

He said all the workers feel "at risk", but they've just got to "wait and see" what happens.

Vauxhall says it won't comment on this matter, but has released a general statement saying: "PSA Group and General Motors confirm they are exploring numerous strategic initiatives aiming at improving profitability and operational efficiency, including a potential acquisition of Opel Vauxhall by PSA. 

"There can be no assurance that an agreement will be reached."

The take-up of a flagship housing scheme in London is lower than that of the rest of the country.

The moment the England and Wasps fly-half Danny Cipriani had to put an interview on hold after he was approached for a photo by a fan.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Hertfordshire Olympic champion Laura Kenny and her husband Jason are expecting their first child, the couple's agent confirmed.

The 24-year-old four-time Olympic gold medallist, who grew up in Cheshunt, revealed the news with a post on Instagram of two adult bikes lined up alongside a child's bike.

Husband Jason added his own post on Twitter, while Great Britain team-mate Dani King tweeted "best news ever"., external

Agent Luke Lloyd-Davies said the couple and their families are "absolutely thrilled and delighted with the news".

The couple, who married in September in a private ceremony, went public with the news following their 12-week scan.

What's the betting Kenny junior won't be needing stabilisers for very long?

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

A union leader is urging the government to seek assurances over Vauxhall jobs in Luton and other sites in the UK.

It comes after Vauxhall's parent company, General Motors, revealed it was in talks about being bought out by Peugeot. 

GM plans to sell its European operation, which includes Vauxhall, to the French rival, which also owns Citroen.

Unions fear the takeover will be followed by large numbers of job losses.

Vauxhall employs about 4,500 people at its manufacturing plants in Ellesmere Port and Luton.

Image source, Vauxhall

The general secretary of the Unite union, Len McCluskey, said: "The French government own a significant chunk of Peugeot, they've already come out and said they welcome the prospect of Peugeot buying Vauxhall.

"We want to make certain that our government is not sitting on the sidelines, because you can bet your life that the French government will be defending French jobs."

BBC Weather

A murky morning, with extensive mist and low cloud only very gradually lifting, and light patchy rain. 

Longer spells of rain will spread from the west during the afternoon, perhaps heavy at times. Winds will be light throughout the day, and it'll feel mild.  

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Good morning and welcome back to live updates of news, weather, travel and sport for Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

We'll be with you until 18:00 and the full weather forecast will be with you shortly.

Today we'll be keeping across the murder trial of the man accused of killing Hertfordshire author Helen Bailey as it reaches its closing stages.

Also, as Vauxhall parent company General Motors is in talks about being bought out by Peugeot, we'll look at the latest and what this might mean for Luton.

There's also been some baby news overnight from a Hertfordshire Olympian...

As always, if you want to get in touch you can email, Facebook, external or Twitter, external. 

Claire Cottingham
BBC Live reporter

South East MEP Anneliese Dodds has called for an investigation into "anti-competitive practices" in Formula 1.

The Labour MEP claims smaller teams are being "unfairly punished" by the way F1 is run.

It comes after the recent collapse of the Formula 1 Manor team as an example of how the sport is failing some teams.  

Image source, Getty Images

Dodd has also previously expressed concerns over the sport's takeover by Liberty Media and its UK tax arrangements.

In 2015, two of F1's smaller teams, Force India and Sauber, asked the EU's Competition Commission to investigate the sport due to perceived unfairness over the way revenues were divided and rules decided.

Image source, Getty Images