Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

The number of hate crime reports in Bedfordshire is on the increase. 

Police say, external in the last year the number rose by 13% overall. 

In total, police were made aware of 902 cases in 2016.

Image source, Bedfordshire Police

The number of reports of disability hate crimes and incidents was up 92% and the reporting of sexual orientation crimes increased by 26%. 

The force said it was pleased with the increase, saying it's because of the work it's doing to "spread the message that hate crime will not be tolerated". 

Martin Heath
BBC Radio Northampton

Brackley Town Council has been tweeting pictures of officials looking through dozens of designs for stained glass windows to adorn the refurbished town hall.

There are 23 windows in the building that used to contain stained glass. The town council is hoping to revive that tradition as part of the refurbishment of the building.  

The winners of the competition should be notified by the end of the month.

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron has been in St Albans today, campaigning for the "British people to change the direction of the United Kingdom". 

The Lib Dems see it as a target seat, currently held by the Tories, after 63% of people voted Remain in the EU referendum.

He said: "We have a government backed by the Labour Party taking us out of the single market towards the hardest version of Brexit.

"Whatever you voted last June it was surely not on the ballet paper to rip up our relationship with Europe and to rip up our prosperity here at home." 

Image source, Sky News

He made it clear he's "against a hard Brexit" and against taking the country "out of the single market", adding it was time to "make it a contest".

He said he would not be prepared to go into any coalition with either Labour or the Conservatives in the possibility of a hung Parliament. 

Mr Farron added he wanted people to "dump the Tory party". 

"Back the only party backing British business, back the Liberal Democrats," he said.

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

A discarded cigarette has damaged two homes and destroyed two garages in Milton Keynes, according to Buckinghamshire and MK Fire. 

The service says it was called to Cagney Cresent, Oxley Park, at about 10:30.

Crews from Great Holm, Bletchley and Broughton attended. 

Nobody was hurt but a car and a van were also damaged. 

Image source, Bucks and MK Fire

Yvonne Hall
BBC News

I've been walking in the dried-up river bed of the River Colne in London Colney, which at this time of year should be about two-feet deep and teeming with wildlife.

But after exceptionally low rainfall this winter, environmentalists are warning there could be a drought on the way in parts of Hertfordshire.

They say a growing number of rivers are drying up, threatening wildlife and water supplies.

David Johnson from the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust said: "It's absolutely devastating, it really couldn't have come at a worse possible time.

"We're right in the middle of the fish spawning season... it's also the time when we'd expect a lot of the invertebrates hatching – like mayflies - and that provides a lot of food for the birds in the area that are currently rearing their young.

"It really is a huge hit to the local ecology. We really need to see some rainfall soon."

Affinity Water, which supplies nearly three million customers across the county, said it was also growing increasingly concerned about the lack of rainfall and it's making plans to prepare for possible drought in the summer. 

It's urging customers to use water wisely and to recycle it wherever possible.

The man and woman were arrested during the investigation into Mark Altabas's death.

Lee Agnew
BBC Three Counties Radio

In the final Prime Minster's Questions before the General Election on 8 June, Peter Lilley made his final speech in the House of Commons.

He announced today he was stepping down after 34 years as a Conservative MP in Hertfordshire "because of her" [Theresa May] and his confidence in her leadership. 

He then went on to wish the House "godspeed". 

Mrs May thanked him for his "tremendous contribution" over the years as a former minister in the government of Margaret Thatcher and John Mayor, as a local MP and a member of the House.   

Seven housing estates across Milton Keynes are given priority in a £1bn programme of regeneration.

The bronze bust of the Norman king has spent most of its existence in its owner's garage.

Midfielder Tom Conlon signs a new undisclosed-terms contract with League Two play-off hopefuls Stevenage.

About 20 firefighters tackled a blaze at a disused pub in south Buckinghamshire last night. 

They were called to The Peacock in Wheeler End, near High Wycombe, just after midnight.  

The pub was closed in 2015.

Image source, Google

Simon Oxley
BBC Three Counties Radio

This year's Tour of Britain cycling race is coming to Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. 

The 186km (116-mile) Stage 7 stretch will start in Hemel Hempstead, passing through Buckinghamshire and finishing in Cheltenham. 

It takes place on 9 September.

Image source, Getty Images

There are eight stages of the Tour in total, from 3 to 10 September. 

BBC Weather Watchers

Afraid so...

BBC Weather Watcher Alan in Hitchin snapped this wintry scene this morning.

Showers will continue through this afternoon, turning heavy and possibly thundery, with more hail likely at times. 

Western parts of the three counties will see fewer showers though, allowing more in the way of sunshine. 

It'll be less windy than of late, but still feeling rather cold.

Maximum temperature: 9C (48F). 

BBC Weather has more.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Earlier we told you the Liberal Democrats had suspended their General Election candidate for Luton South from the party over alleged anti-Semitic comments on Twitter.

The local branch of the party in Luton has now told us it was in the process of selecting a new candidate to replace Ashuk Ahmed, with the help of the national and regional parties.

A spokesman said: "Mr Ahmed is no longer a member of the party and will not be a Liberal Democrat candidate in the coming election."

He added the allegations were, as yet, not proven, but "if they are proved to be true there is no space in the Liberal Democrat party for these views nor for this person".

"Updated information will be released as it becomes available and no further comment will be made at this time," he said.

We have approached Mr Ahmed for comment, but have not yet had a response.

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

Hertfordshire Police has offered to help whoever left a suspicious-looking package on the floor of the Howard Centre in Welwyn Garden City...

Justin Dealey
BBC Three Counties Radio

Now for more on the regeneration of MK.

Changes to seven estates in the new town are expected to take about 15 years and could affect 20,000 people. 

It could mean some people will be moved from their homes into new ones, or some are just updated.  

I've been to find out what local people think, and the main consensus is they are not happy and haven't been told a thing. 

Barry lives in Beanhill and told me he's heard nothing about the plans and it was all "ridiculous". 

He said: "Refurbish, knock them down... no way." 

Image source, YourMK

Keith has lived happily in the Netherfield estate (above) for 42 years. He said his home was "nice and big" and his biggest fear was "being offered somewhere else that will be small".

Dawn from Fullers Slade said she'd "heard nothing" and was "scared" if her home could be bought off her.

YourMK, external, which is behind the regeneration plans, said nothing would happen without full consultation with residents.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

The Battle of Hastings took place on 14 October 1066 and was fought between William of Normandy's army from France and King Harold II's English army.

More than 10,000 people were killed including Harold who, legend has it, died from an arrow in the eye, as depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry.

Image source, Getty Images

The Anglo-Saxons had ruled the land for more than 600 years since the Roman times and Norman rule changed the course of English history, leading to permanent changes to language and architecture.

It was at Berkhamsted Castle that William the Conqueror received the submission of the English after the battle - since then, he had been circling fortified London waiting for nobles to come out to meet him to concede.

Businessman Jon Culverhouse, who commissioned a bronze bust of the king to be displayed in the town, said: "People don't realise how significant Berkhamsted was because William the Conqueror expected the English to submit immediately after he won the Battle of Hastings."

Local historian John Waller said a university professor had spoken at Berkhamsted School, who explained the town was "most probably the most important place in England... and maybe even Europe".

"We get thousands of visitors coming to Berkhamsted to see this [castle]," he said.

John Danks, BBC Spotlight

A former Spanish footballer has been sentenced to 11 years in prison after being found guilty of sexual offences against five young boys. 

Jose Castellano-Gonzales, 25, committed the offences while working in Devon and Bedfordshire. 

During sentencing at Exeter Crown Court Judge Mercer QC told Castellano-Gonzales he "caused untold damage to your victims."

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Six months after a bronze bust of William the Conqueror was unveiled at Berkhamsted Castle in Hertfordshire, English Heritage says it can't host the work because it can't protect it.

The site is where English leaders surrendered to William in 1066 after the Battle of Hastings.

Image source, Jonathan Culverhouse

The bust was commissioned by businessman Jon Culverhouse to mark the 950th anniversary of the battle.

While it was unveiled at the castle in October, a permanent location in the town had not been decided. At the moment it is in the library at Berkhamsted School.

English Heritage said: "We were happy to host the unveiling of Mr Culverhouse's sculpture at Berkhamsted Castle last year, but after careful consideration we decided that we could not display it there indefinitely.

"We are not confident that we can protect the work from vandalism or theft. We wish him all the best with his efforts to find a home for it."  

Mr Culverhouse said: "I thought it would draw people into the town and it would be an attraction that people could come and admire.

"I went to the town council and said 'would you like to take it', and they found nowhere for it... So the search goes on.

"There are monuments all over the country that don't get vandalised and don't get stolen. It's not beyond the wit of man to secure it in such a way that it would make it very difficult to steal."

We have asked the town council for comment.

Andy Holmes
BBC Three Counties Radio political reporter

"It's vital the community work with us". 

That's the view of one of the people responsible for the regeneration of Milton Keynes, David Gleeson - the managing director of YourMK, external.

He told me this morning the organisation, which is a partnership between Milton Keynes Council and Mears Group, "now understands" the challenges ahead, and nothing will happen without talking to the people where their homes are going to be updated. 

"No bulldozers are going anywhere on these estates - we have to work up a community-led plan to deliver viable regeneration on any of those estates," he said. 

Image source, YourMK

I questioned him on how the regeneration would be paid for, and he responded by saying it's going to be "complex" and it would "leave no stone unturned in terms of what we are going to do".

I challenged him on whether that meant people would lose their homes, and he said it was "not about displacement or about taking homes away, it's not about dispersing communities, and we are not here to take that away from them."