Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

The government has said any decision about building a new hospital for West Hertfordshire on land by the M25 at Kings Langley should be made by the NHS locally.

A petition on the government's website, external calling for a new hospital "equipped to modern standards" attracted more than 10,000 signatures.

It was set up by members of the New Hospital Campaign - formed to request a new facility on a central, accessible site between three main towns - Hemel Hempstead, St Albans and Watford.

The government's response stated: "The reconfiguration of health services is a matter for the NHS locally.

"Any changes to local services should be led by clinicians and patients, not from the top down.

"It is for NHS commissioners and service providers to work together with patients and the public in bringing forward proposals that will improve the quality and sustainability of healthcare services." 

West Herts Hospitals Trust said a new hospital would be too expensive and it wants to redevelop Watford General instead.

A Luton museum will reopen after a year-long transformation costing £3.5m.

Northern Ireland Under-21 midfielder Ben Kennedy agrees a new deal with League Two club Stevenage.

Former Miss Malaysia wanted £100m while her ex-husband said she should receive £9m.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Work will continue today to repair a sewer in Luton town centre.

The collapse happened on Old Bedford Road, close to the junction with Hucklesby Way.

Luton Borough Council says motorists trying to join the ring road from Old Bedford Road could face diversions for the next 10 days.

Image source, Google

Jodie Halford
BBC News

An independent review has called for improvements into the way the authorities in Buckinghamshire deal with child sexual exploitation.

They include  a call for the introduction of a national database of licensed taxi drivers, to make it easier to spot those with a criminal past.

Image source, Getty Images

The serious case review examined all the reports of child sex exploitation in Buckinghamshire since 1998.

The review said it was "clear that taxi drivers picked young people up from schools and children's homes and some drivers were directly involved in the abuse of the young people".

It found that complaints about drivers were not always taken to licensing officers, and that licensing authorities were not told if a taxi driver had been arrested unless the driver revealed their occupation.

Issues with taxi drivers had been highlighted in a number of similar cases around the country, the report's author found.

The review also suggested that Buckinghamshire's four district councils and county council should improve the way they shared information with police.

Buckinghamshire County Council said the report found "good practice and strong partnership working in place to tackle sexual exploitation", as well as areas for further improvement.  

Elizabeth Rizzini
BBC Look East weather

After a chilly start temperatures will rise steadily through the morning bringing warm sunshine and blue skies lasting well into the afternoon but light cloud may appear during the middle of the day.

Temperatures will fall to single figures overnight with some cloud lingering in places.

Maximum Temperature 17C (64F)

More details from BBC Weather :

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.

Today we'll be looking at how an independent serious case review has called for improvements into the way authorities in Buckinghamshire deal with child sexual exploitation.

And later, the High Court is due to hear a legal challenge about the number of suicides at Woodhill Prison in Milton Keynes. 

First, as always, there'll be a full regional weather forecast. 

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

Campaigners say compensation payouts have led to a climate of fear in schools.

Police say someone connected with the burial contacted them following an appeal for information.

Sarah Jenkins
BBC Local Live

Thanks for your company.

We'll be back from 08:00 tomorrow with the latest news, weather, travel and sport - but any breaking news will be posted her overnight.

As always, you can get in touch with us at any time by  email ,  Facebook, external  or  Twitter, external .

Alex Dolan
BBC Look East weather

Staying fine and dry this evening across the BBC East region, with patchy cloud moving in from the north during the night.

It'll stay clear - but watch out - temperatures will drop to 2c (35F) and may even be low enough for a touch of ground frost.

Tomorrow will be another fine, dry day with sunny spells. Light winds - and highs of 13C (55F).

A Laura Ashley boss must give his ex-wife £64m, a divorce court judge has ruled.

Former beauty queen Pauline Chai, 70, wanted around £100m from ex-husband Khoo Kay Peng, 78, following the breakdown of their 42-year marriage.

Dr Khoo, non-executive chairman of Laura Ashley Holdings, said she should pocket about £9m. Mr Justice Bodey had analysed evidence at a trial in the Family Division of the High Court in London and announced his decision earlier today.

Image source, PA

Ms Chai, who lives in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, had said she should get half an asset kitty totalling at least £205m.

Mr Justice Bodey ruled that she should get a £64m package made up of cash and property.

Ms Chai and Dr Khoo, who both come from Malaysia, married in 1970 and have five children.

They have spent more than £6m between them on lawyers since splitting, judges have heard.

The judge had previously told them they could live in "considerable comfort" if they settled their differences .

Image source, PA

Yesterday we reported that police had sealed off a 12th Century churchyard after an unexplained grave was found in the grounds .

Image source, Hertfordshire Police

It was thought the grave had appeared at St James, Stanstead Abbotts, as recently as last year, prompting a police investigation.

However, Hertfordshire Police says it has examined the plot and received new information which suggests it is older then first thought.

"It is believed the site could date back over a number of decades and there is no evidence of criminal or suspicious activity associated with the grave itself," said Ch Insp Gerry McDonald.

"Officers have now removed the scene guard and are not investigating the matter any further at this time."

The force said it wouldn't be releasing any more details of the grave, "out of respect and courtesy" to the family.

Peter Saull
BBC Radio Nottingham political reporter

There is no immediate start date for the electrification of the Midland Mainline, according to Prime Minister Theresa May. 

Image source, EPA

Speaking on a visit to Nottingham, she said: "That is something that we are looking at.

"I haven't got a date that I can give you immediately... we have set aside, as a government, money to put into, to invest into, infrastructure because infrastructure is very important. 

"It is part of our industrial strategy, investing in infrastructure, and doing that across the UK." 

The Midland Mainline runs from London to Sheffield through the East Midlands.

Watford will host Aston Villa in a memorial game this summer for former manager Graham Taylor, who died in January.

The East of England Ambulance Service has been set a lower target to reach life-threatening calls.

Previously, the NHS trust had to reach 75% of these calls within eight minutes... that's now been lowered to 68.5% within the same time.

Kevin Brown, from the East of England Ambulance Service, external , says it doesn't mean patients are waiting longer.

Lee Agnew
BBC Three Counties Radio

Workers from Thames Water are trying to repair a collapsed sewer on a road in Luton town centre. 

The collapse happened on the Old Bedford Road, close to the junction with Hucklesby Way, which is the Luton inner ring road. 

Luton Borough Council says motorists trying to join the ring road from Old Bedford Road could face diversions for the next 10 days.

Image source, Google

A driver who went on trial in a private prosecution for causing the death of a cyclist has been acquitted. 

Gail Purcell, 59, of Colney Street, St Albans, was found not guilty of careless driving by a jury at the Old Bailey this afternoon.

Teacher Michael Mason was cycling on Regent Street in London on 25 February 2014 when he was hit from behind. 

He sustained a fatal injury to his brain and died 19 days later, having never regained consciousness.

Image source, PA

The case was brought to court as a private prosecution by Cycling UK's Cyclists' Defence Fund after police decided not to refer it to the Crown Prosecution Service.

More than 2,000 people donated over £80,000 to help fund the case.

Anna Tatton-Brown, Michael Mason's daughter, reacted to the jury's decision saying: "My family and I respect the decision the jury have reached, although we are obviously disappointed."

Officers are set to carry out a controlled explosion this afternoon after a device was found in Little Staughton.

Police were called just before 11:00 to reports of what is believed to be an old artillery shell found on farmland.

A team from Bedfordshire Police will detonate the device in a controlled manner shortly.