Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Earlier we told you that part of Bedford town centre had been cordoned off and we now have more news about what's going on.

Bedfordshire Police has told us it's investigating a report of a rape and officers have cordoned off an area of Mill Street as part of their inquiries.

The alleged incident occurred during the early hours of Thursday morning.

A man has been arrested and is currently in police custody. Specially-trained officers are supporting the victim.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

The UK Coastguard has said the search for a missing helicopter which was flying from Milton Keynes to Dublin is focusing more on inland areas .

North Wales Police is co-ordinating the search in Snowdonia with the Coastguard and other agencies.

Radar contact with the the Twin Squirrel red helicopter was lost on Wednesday afternoon and initial searches followed the intended flight plan of the aircraft over the Irish Sea.

UK Coastguard duty commander Mark Rodaway said: "These aircraft normally carry beacons that we can track by satellite - they're activated by salt water - we've not seen any of that and also mobile phone data has aided our inquiries in shifting inland." 

He added that six mountain rescue teams and a dog unit were hampered by visibility of just 10ft (3m) in places and the bad weather in Snowdonia gave him "concern" about sending Coastguard helicopters into the mountain range, but if weather conditions improved throughout the morning, they would be able to send air support to aid the search teams on the ground.  

BBC Business News

Luton-based car maker Vauxhall has announced it is to end its multimillion-pound sponsorship of the home nations' football teams after the 2018 World Cup.

Image source, Getty Images

Vauxhall has been the lead sponsor of the England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland teams since 2011.

But a spokeswoman said Vauxhall wanted to start running separate marketing campaigns for individual models.

The deal for the England team is thought to be worth in the region of £5m to £6m per year.

I n a statement, external , Vauxhall said it had not ruled out other sponsorship deals

"Since 2011, Vauxhall has been very proud to be the lead sponsor for each of the four home nations football associations (FAs), the first time this has ever been undertaken by a major organisation," it said.

Vauxhall had "agreed to explore other opportunities to continue its relationship with the FAs beyond the conclusion of the existing contracts," it added.

BBC Sport

Charlton Athletic has announced it plans to pay tribute to season ticket holder PC Keith Palmer , who was killed in last week's Westminster terror attack, at its next home game - against MK Dons.

Image source, PA

For the game on 4 April, half the ticket sales and Charlton's players' match fees will be donated to PC Palmer's family.

Addicks players will also wear a special shirt for the match with his warrant number on.

The club have placed a scarf over PC Palmer's seat up until the game.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Parts of Bedford town centre are closed this morning while police investigate an incident that happened overnight.

A cordon has been put up between Mill Street and Lurke Street.

We'll bring you more information as we get it. 

Hollie Hamilton
BBC News

The search operation for a helicopter missing with five people on board was called off last night due to bad weather conditions and this morning we're waiting for an update about when it will continue.

Rescue teams had been searching parts of Snowdonia and the Irish Sea for the aircraft which had been flying from Milton Keynes to Dublin.

The weather has not improved this morning - there's still heavy rain and visibility is still very, very poor but I understand that searches in the Snowdonia area are continuing on land by North Wales Police and mountain rescue teams.

We're hoping aerial searches will continue in the next few hours but it's being said that unless weather conditions improve they will not be able to continue.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

A privately-owned helicopter from Milton Keynes with five people on board has disappeared over North Wales .

The aircraft is believed to have been travelling from Milton Keynes to Dublin, via Caernarfon Bay.

It left Milton Keynes just before midday on Wednesday and had been scheduled to stop in Caernarfon but never arrived.

The UK Coastguard said radar contact was lost on Wednesday afternoon and so far there have been no sightings of the red Twin Squirrel helicopter.

Two UK Coastguard helicopters searched the area between north Wales and Dublin before returning to their bases for the evening, but their efforts were hampered by low cloud which caused poor visibility.

The search is due to continue this morning but weather conditions have not improved.   

A Mayday broadcast has been issued to all vessels passing through the Irish Sea route to contact the UK Coastguard if they have seen anything.  

North Wales Police and mountain rescue teams are continuing the ground search.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Two men were killed when a van came off the M40 near High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire on Wednesday and crashed into tree.

The silver Renault traffic van was travelling north between J3 for Beaconsfield and J4 for High Wycombe at 15:45 when it appears the vehicle came off the carriageway on the nearside.

It is not thought any other vehicles were involved.

The driver, 22, and a rear seat passenger, 31, both from Warwickshire, were declared dead at the scene.

The other two passengers, both men, were taken to hospital for treatment for minor injuries.

The carriageway was closed for more than two hours.

PC Richard Martin from Thames Valley Police said: "At this stage we do not believe there was another vehicle involved. However we are very keen to hear from anyone who saw the silver van prior to the collision or witnessed the collision itself."

Elizabeth Rizzini
BBC Look East weather

This could be the warmest day of the year so far. 

It'll be bright rather than sunny for most of the morning, with plenty of high cloud around, but the good news is that the sun will break through this afternoon. 

There'll be a top temperature of about 20C (68F), but it could be even warmer in some more favoured spots.

Watch my full regional forecast here:

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Good morning and welcome to another day of live updates from Beds, Herts and Bucks. We'll be here from now until 18:00 bringing you the very latest news, sport, weather and travel.

This morning, we'll be keeping an eye on the overnight news that a helicopter which took off from Milton Keynes with five people on board has gone missing over Caernarfon Bay in north Wales.

But first, as always, there'll be a full regional weather forecast and early reports suggests that despite cloudy grey skies over Dunstable, today is going to be a warm one - just right for today, which is apparently Take A Walk In The Park Day, external .

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

Police officers will not be charged after a man was left paralysed in a club incident, the BBC is told.

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

That's it from all of us here running the Local Live news stream for Beds, Bucks and Herts. 

We've finished for the day, but do not fear, we'll be back with more news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 tomorrow.

Whatever you're doing tonight, we hope it's a good one. 

This evening will stay rather cloudy with the odd spot of drizzle possible, but mainly dry. 

A few showery outbreaks of rain later but another mild night. 

Winds light south or south-westerly. Lows of 9C (48F).

Tomorrow will see some isolated showers at first, but it will become drier and brighter with sunny spells and feeling warm. 

Winds light to moderate south or south-westerly. Highs of 20C (68F).

For more, visit  BBC Weather .

Danny Shaw
BBC Home Affairs Correspondent

The mother of Julian Cole said she would seek a review of the Crown Prosecution Service's (CPS) decision not to charge any police officers , after the student's neck was broken outside a Bedford nightclub.

In a statement to BBC News, Claudia Cole said: "Today I learned the CPS have decided that there is not sufficient evidence to bring any criminal charges against any officer. 

"Their decision makes no sense to me or Julian's family."

She said the CPS's letter said the case could not go ahead because of conflicting medical evidence, but she had instructed her solicitors to seek a review of the decision.

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

The police dog who made a miraculous recovery after being  stabbed in Stevenage  had to be withdrawn from the Eastern Regional Police Dog Trials today, after picking up a "knock".

PD Finn's handler PC Dave Wardell said  via Twitter: , external "Rather than aggravate that injury for the sake of an award or a few points I withdrew him. 

"Finn has nothing to prove, he is courageous, he is brave, he is my hero. He's my champion."

Image source, BCH Police Dogs

But it wasn't all bad news... Finn managed to bag three awards during the course of the two days, beating teams from Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Finn and PC Wardell picked up Best Tracking, Best Building Search and Best Overall Search gongs.

Andy Holmes
BBC Three Counties Radio political reporter

The big news that has come out of the modern slavery conference in Watford today is that a dedicated police unit has been launched. 

Operation Tropic aims to coordinate the response to modern slavery in Hertfordshire. 

Det Supt Dave Wheatley said the pilot had been created following "the increase in demand and the rise in referrals from victims of human trafficking and human slavery".

He said it would "work alongside partners to ensure that victims are afforded the best safeguarding measures" and hoped it would bring more "offenders to justice". 

Image source, Hertfordshire Police

An engineering company has pulled out of part of the HS2 high-speed rail link contract.

The American firm CH2M now won't be going ahead with work on the "second phase" of the project, linking Crewe to Manchester and Birmingham to Leeds. 

The contract signing was delayed as officials were reportedly investigating concerns from rival bidder Mace over alleged conflicts of interest.  

CH2M had already been awarded a separate contract on the first phase that will run between London and Birmingham, through parts of Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire. 

It said it was "fully committed" to working on this phase.

Image source, PA

CH2M blamed the exit on "protracted delays and ongoing speculation".

A spokesman said: "CH2M has demonstrated all appropriate measures taken throughout to ensure the integrity of the procurement process."

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

Sadly it wasn't a good day for our two Buckinghamshire schools as they both lost in the Schools Cup rugby finals, external at Twickenham. 

Buckingham's Royal Latin School lost to Trent College by 7 points to 36, in the Under 18 vase final.

Earlier today Dr Challoner's school in Amersham were beaten 62 points to 7 by Thomas Hardye. 

Gareth Lloyd
BBC Three Counties Radio

As we mentioned, five endangered African hunting dogs have moved into a new home at Bedfordshire's Whipsnade Zoo. 

They seem to be enjoying it...

Thunderbird character Lady Penelope has been accused of breaking Marlow Bridge's strict weight and size limits during a Halifax advert.

The iconic puppet is briefly seen in her three-tonne and 8ft wide FAB 1 on the route, which connects Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, during the bank's' latest commercial.

Image source, Halifax advert

Facebook group  My Marlow , external pointed out the fictional aristocrat's potential breach. 

Police confirmed they would enforce three-tonne weight and 6ft 6ins width limits at the start of the month. 

The force said it would issue £50 fines to those caught not adhering to the rules.