Summary

  • Man guilty of body in taxi murder

  • Child sex exploitation report suggests taxi driver database

  • Decision on new West Herts hospital 'should be made locally'

  • Protected birds of prey shot

  • Updates on Friday, 7 April 2017

  1. Weather: Patchy rain expected laterpublished at 17:49 British Summer Time 3 April 2017

    Julie Reinger
    BBC Look East weather

    It will be a dry start to the night with clear spells and some patchy mist. 

    Cloud will thicken from the west later, eventually bringing some patchy rain.

    Temperatures initially falling to around 5C (41F), but rising later in the night.

    Weather map

    Tuesday is likely to be a cloudy day with some further outbreaks of mainly light and patchy rain. 

    The winds will eventually turn more northerly and temperatures reaching about 13C (55F).  

    BBC Weather  has more details for where you live.    

  2. Window cleaner accused of Alan Davie art theft tells court works were 'in the bin' published at 17:46 British Summer Time 3 April 2017

    A window cleaner accused of stealing paintings worth half a million pounds from a Hertford artist told a court he was given scores of brush and ink works by the late painter, who had thrown them into a bin. 

    Daniel Pressland said some works by Alan Davie (pictured below) were sold at auction after he died in 2014.

    Alan DavieImage source, South Beds News Agency

    The St Albans Crown Court jury was told Mr Pressland was caught by police driving away from the house on 5 April 2015 with three paintings in the back of a van, in total worth £190,000.

    The prosecution alleges 31 works were stolen in total between 2014 and 2015.

    Mr Pressland, of Outward Common in Billericay, Essex, has admitted one count of burglary concerning the paintings found in the van.

    However, he denies two further offences of burglary, two of converting criminal property and two of transferring criminal property.

    Co-defendant Gavin Challis, 42, of North Street, Nazeing, Essex, has denied possessing criminal property after two paintings by Mr Davie were found at his home.

    The case continues.

  3. Tottenham 4-0 Watford - Spurs keep pressure on leaders Chelseapublished at 17:45 British Summer Time 3 April 2017

    Tottenham thrash Watford to close the gap on Chelsea to four points at the top of the Premier League.

    Read More
  4. 'Manufacturing error' on A428 road signpublished at 17:39 British Summer Time 3 April 2017

    Adam Jinkerson
    BBC Local Live

    Earlier we brought you the rather amusing picture of an A428 road sign in Cambridgeshire that had been misprinted - reading A248.

    The sign is the responsibility of Highways England, which told us: "This is one of 35 new signs we've installed along a series of junctions on the A428 in the past few weeks.

    Misprinted signImage source, Twitter/StephenBowskill

    "It was down to a manufacturing error with the sign, which no-one noticed while it was being fitted.

    "We will make every effort to replace the sign as soon as possible and we're sorry for any confusion in the meantime."

    The company added that signs of this sort "cost between £200-£400".

  5. New device lets disabled drivers racepublished at 17:14 British Summer Time 3 April 2017

    Gareth Lloyd
    BBC Three Counties Radio

    New technology that allows disabled people to drive racing cars has been unveiled in Bedfordshire today.

    Team Brit car

    Team Brit, an all-disabled team made up of ex-forces, has been demonstrating the technology at Bedford Autodrome in Thurleigh. 

    Team Brit car

    Dave Player, one of the designers, said: "We had to design a set of hand controls that allowed different people with lots of different disabilities to race. 

    "You can't compete in a normal automatic car with push-pull hand controls that we use on the roads in our normal cars.

    Steering wheel

    "It's taken a couple of years to develop and now we have the world's most advanced set of hand controls." 

  6. Former BBC employee found guilty in historic indecent assault case published at 16:48 British Summer Time 3 April 2017

    A former BBC employee has been convicted of indecently assaulting a woman. 

    Geoffrey Wheeler, 71, of Hopkins Close in Milton Keynes, was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court of putting his hand up the victim's top and touching her breast.

    The attack happened in a BBC office in MK while he worked at the Open University for the corporation in the early 1980s.

    He was cleared of a further four indecent assault charges, dated between May 1981 and September 1982.

    Wheeler was told he must carry out 50 hours of unpaid work within the next 12 months. He was also ordered to pay £150 in compensation to his victim and £500 towards prosecution costs. 

    Wheeler is not to be confused with the BBC broadcaster and former Songs Of Praise presenter of the same name who died in December 2013. 

  7. Who's a pretty boy then?published at 16:40 British Summer Time 3 April 2017

    Alex Pope
    BBC Local Live

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  8. Southern rail: Aslef members reject latest proposed dealpublished at 16:37 British Summer Time 3 April 2017

    Members of the Aslef union have rejected a deal aimed at ending the long-running dispute over driver-only operated trains on Southern railway.

    Members voted by 372 votes (51.8%) to 346 (48.2%) against the proposed deal.

    General secretary Mick Whelan said: "We understand and support the decision arrived at in a democratic vote."

    Govia Thameslink Railway said it was "hugely disappointing", as the agreement had "the full support and recommendation" of Aslef leaders.

    The company runs a service between Milton Keynes and Clapham.

    Southern workers on platformImage source, Getty Images
  9. Helicopter crash family 'changed within the space of a day'published at 16:16 British Summer Time 3 April 2017

    Katy Lewis
    BBC Local Live

    The daughter of two of the people killed in last week's helicopter crash in Snowdonia has said her family "changed within the space of a day". 

    Donald and Sharon Burke's daughter Olivia, said: "They were taken far too soon and it's hard for us to understand why such a tragedy would happen to the best type of people, who were so selfless and genuine to everyone they met.

    "They embodied every attribute of an amazing parent, sibling, child and friend.

    "That will never be forgotten and will only make us aspire to do them proud."

    She also appealed for the family to be left alone "to come to terms with the events".

    Donald and Sharon died alongside Donald's brothers Kevin and Barry and Kevin's wife Ruth when a Twin Squirrel helicopter, registered to Kevin and Ruth Burke, crashed on a remote north Wales mountainside while on its way from the Luton area to Dublin.

  10. Woman sentenced over dying puppiespublished at 16:13 British Summer Time 3 April 2017

    The RSPCA seized 37 puppies, as well as a dead dog, following raids at the West Midlands puppy farm.

    Read More
  11. Water firm to invest £425m next year with £17m to fix leakspublished at 16:06 British Summer Time 3 April 2017

    Patrick Byrne
    BBC News

    Anglian Water has announced almost £0.5bn of investment for the coming financial year. 

    Projects worth £425m will start during the next 12 months and are part of the water company's five-year plan. 

    WaterImage source, Getty Images

    They include spending £17m on tackling leakage, £48m on maintaining and renewing the water pipe network and £1m on an initiative based at Newmarket that will look to pioneer new technology before it is rolled out to the firm's network. 

    Jane Taylor, head of customer services at Anglian Water, external , claimed: "Bills are still lower than they were four years ago thanks to the price reductions we promised back then. 

    "To strike the right balance we're continuing to keep costs as low as possible long term while still investing heavily in the things customers care about most." 

    The company provides water and sewage services in Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. 

  12. Watch: Airlander and its new inflatable 'feet'published at 15:55 British Summer Time 3 April 2017

    Louise Hubball
    BBC Look East

    As we mentioned earlier, the world's longest aircraft - the £25m Airlander 10 - has been given a pair of "giant inflatable landing feet" as part of improvements following a crash. 

    The 302ft (92m) long aircraft, which is part plane and part airship, nosedived after a test flight at Cardington Airfield in Bedfordshire on 24 August. 

    Watch below to take a closer look at its new "feet"...

    Media caption,

    Airlander 10 gets 'giant inflatable feet' after crash

  13. Tributes to family killed in helicopter crashpublished at 15:53 British Summer Time 3 April 2017

    Katy Lewis
    BBC Local Live

    The mother of one of the women killed in last week's helicopter crash in the Rhinog Mountains has paid tribute to a "wonderful daughter, sister and auntie". 

    Five members of the same family from the Milton Keynes area died when a Twin Squirrel helicopter crashed on a remote North Wales mountainside last Wednesday. 

    They were Kevin and Ruth Burke, Kevin's brothers Donald and Barry and Donald's wife Sharon.

    Ruth and Kevin BurkeImage source, Facebook
    Image caption,

    Ruth and Kevin Burke

    Donald and Sharon BurkeImage source, Family
    Image caption,

    Donald and Sharon Burke

    Kath Stewardson, the mother of Sharon Burke, said: "We would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody for their support and messages of condolence.

    "We are truly overwhelmed with all your love and support.

    "Our thoughts at this time are especially with Sharon and Donald's three wonderful children who are a credit to their parents.

    "We would like to pass on special thanks to all of the emergency services and public who helped in the search and recovery of our loved ones, also the police liaison officers who have been a great help at this difficult time."

  14. Turn right on to the... A248?published at 15:44 British Summer Time 3 April 2017

    Adam Jinkerson
    BBC Local Live

    You'd be forgiven for thinking, after this weekend, that our next story may be an April fool.

    But no, it appears to be genuine.

    Can you spot the mistake?

    Incorrect A428 signImage source, Twitter/StephenBowskill

    That's right, there is no A248 in Cambridgeshire, or even in the UK.

    The eagle-eyed among you will be able to tell that this should be the A428.

    Twitter user Stephen Bowskill spotted this near Eltisley, where works are taking place at the junction of the B1040 St Ives Road and the A428 Cambridge Road.

    Highways England replied to Stephen on Twitter, saying "we are in communication with our contractors and should have this rectified soon".

    We've contacted it for further comment.

  15. Snowdonia helicopter wreckage recovery completepublished at 14:48 British Summer Time 3 April 2017

    Katy Lewis
    BBC Local Live

    The remains of the helicopter carrying five people from Milton Keynes that crashed last week in Snowdonia have been recovered and will undergo a detailed examination, North Wales Police says.

    Crash site in the Rhinog mountainsImage source, North Wales Police

    The Air Restriction Zone in place since last week at the Rhinog Mountains has been removed, but the scene is still cordoned off.

    The bodies of the five family members killed were recovered last week.

    Those who died were Kevin and Ruth Burke, Kevin's brothers Donald and Barry and Donald's wife Sharon.

    Ch Insp Richie Green said: "Now those who tragically lost their lives have been recovered and the wreckage removed, a further methodical search and examination is required before we can release the 'scene'.

    "I am very grateful for the continued patience and understanding of the public as we bring this complex and difficult stage of the investigation to a close.

    "North Wales Police and Thames Valley Police continue to support family members... our thoughts remain with them."  

  16. Tributes to helicopter crash victimspublished at 14:46 British Summer Time 3 April 2017

    The bodies of the Burke family, from the Milton Keynes area, were removed from the Rhinog Mountains on Friday.

    Read More
  17. Concern grows for missing 12-year-oldpublished at 14:33 British Summer Time 3 April 2017

    Alex Pope
    BBC Local Live

    Police say they're concerned for a missing 12-year-old girl from Dunstable who was last seen this morning.

    They say Hannah Fox was last spotted at about 08:15 near Drovers Way in the town. 

    She's described as white, with long brown hair and wears dark thick rimmed glasses. 

    She was last seen wearing black trousers and a red hoodie with her school shirt underneath. 

    Hannah Fox

    They're asking anyone who might know where she is to get in touch, external

  18. Airlander gets 'giant inflatable feet'published at 13:36 British Summer Time 3 April 2017

    The £25m aircraft's new auxiliary landing system will inflate in about 15 seconds.

    Read More
  19. Exclusive: Airlander 10 investors 'not put-off' by crashpublished at 13:26 British Summer Time 3 April 2017

    Louise Hubball
    BBC Look East

    In total, 63 changes have been made to the development of Airlander 10.

    That means some changes to the aircraft, but most of them are to process, procedure and training.

    All this has happened over a seven-month period, inside Hangar 1 at Cardington Airfield.

    Airlander 10

    Chris Daniels from the Airlander project told me that investors had been "incredibly supportive and have invested a further few million pounds". 

    He told me they are now "willing us to have a successful flight programme".

    Airlander 10

    This means keep looking up at the skies over Cardington, as it's hoped she'll be back flying later this month. 

  20. Exclusive: New winch added to Airlanderpublished at 13:14 British Summer Time 3 April 2017

    Louise Hubball
    BBC Look East

    When Airlander 10 crashed, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch found it was because the aircraft couldn't be secured to its mooring mast at the end of the flight, due to a faulty winch.

    It meant the mooring line thrown out by the pilot was left hanging below the aircraft. 

    After it flew back round to make a second approach to land, it was much higher than ideal and then descended nose-first. 

    Airlander and mooring lineImage source, South Beds News Agency

    To make sure it doesn't happen again, the company has engineered an automatic system to retract the mooring line, along with a new mobile mooring mast with far greater power and manoeuvrability.  

    Winch on Airlander