Alex Dolan
BBC Look East weather

A fine end to the day with sunny spells. across the BBC East region.

Staying dry overnight with patchy cloud and clear spells developing later.

Feeling muggy and humid in built-up areas across with lows of 12C (54F).

Wednesday will be warm and sunny, with patchy cloud at times inland. Highs of 24C (75F).

Get the full forecast where you live from BBC Weather.

A second person has been charged in connection with the murder of 15-year-old Koy Bentley in Watford.

The teenager (pictured) died of a stab wound to the chest following an attack inside a flat on Water Lane on 5 June.

Image source, Hertfordshire Police

Abdi Karim Ali, 21, of Boundfield Road, Lewisham, London, has been charged with murder, perverting the course of justice and conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

He remains in police custody and is due to appear before Hatfield Remand Court tomorrow.

A 15-year-old boy from Willesden, London, who has already been charged with murder, is also due to appear in court tomorrow in St Albans.

A 24-year-old man from Greenwich, who has been arrested on suspicion of murder, has been bailed until 4 July.

Sheffield United sign MK Dons defender George Baldock for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal.

Retired computer expert Leonard Flower was fatally stabbed in by a religious fanatic known to police.

The MP for North East Bedfordshire has been reappointed to Theresa May's government after a cabinet reshuffle.

Tory veteran Alistair Burt was a junior minister under John Major.

He returns to the frontbench after being left out of Mrs May's first administration in 2015.

Mr Burt will return to the Foreign Office, where he had previously been a minister from 2010 to 2013 in a joint capacity with the Department for International Development.

Also included in the ministerial appointments is Mark Lancaster, the MP for Milton Keynes North, who joins the Ministry of Defence.

Adam Watt was found fatally stabbed near his home on Evans Wharf in the Apsley Lock area of Hemel Hempstead on 7 January.

St Albans Crown Court today heard the 38-year-old was killed because he ran off without paying for his drugs.

Nicholas Grant, 18, of Sunnyhill Road, Hemel; Joseph Zulu, 23, of no fixed address and Jacqueline Brewin, 47, of Sacombe Road, Hemel, deny murdering Mr Watt.

Image source, South Beds News Agency

Outlining the case, the prosecution said Mr Watt took a taxi to the Adeyfield area of Hemel earlier that night where he was seen to come out of an alleyway shouting: "Run, run, run!" He was said to be anxious with someone chasing him.

The prosecution says Jacqueline Brewin drove alleged local drug dealers Nicholas Grant and Joseph Zulu to near Mr Watts' home where he confronted them and was stabbed.

Image source, Family photo

The prosecution told the jury Mr Zulu admits being at the scene, but claims he was not armed with a knife. Mr Grant admits he had a knife, but denies being responsible for stabbing Adam Watt.

Jacqueline Brewin admits driving both to the scene and taking them away, but says she didn't know they were carrying knives or that there would be any violence.

The case is expected to last four to five weeks.

Three people are on trial accused of the murder of Adam Watts.

Detectives investigating the sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl in Borehamwood have issued a facial reconstruction of a man they want to talk to.

The girl was walking along Crown Road on 21 April between 16:15 and 16:30 when a man approached her in an alleyway and touched her inappropriately.

Image source, Herts Police

He's described as white, aged about 25 and was about 6ft (1.82m) tall with untidy collar-length blonde hair. He wore a long sleeve white shirt and black trousers.

Det Sgt David Smith said: "I am appealing for anyone who recognises this man to get in touch with me as soon as possible.

"I understand that this incident will have caused concern among the local community and I would like to reassure you that officers are working hard to identify the offender."

As expected, John Bercow has been re-elected as speaker of the House of Commons without dissent.

The MP for Buckingham was dragged to the speaker's chair by Labour MP Alison McGovern and Conservatives Helen Grant and Peter Bottomley, as is tradition.

The video of the moment was tweeted by Esther Webber, reporter for BBC Parliament.

Mr Bercow congratulated MPs who have been re-elected and paid tribute to the 87 members newly elected for the first time.

"Whatever else you have done or will do in the course of your careers, there will be no greater honour than that which you have just attained as an elected member of Parliament," he said.

"Rest assured, the speaker will look out for you and will be very keen sooner rather than later... to hear from you."

Prime Minister Theresa May praised Mr Bercow for his success, joking: "At least someone got a landslide."

The MP for Buckingham, John Bercow, is expected to still keep "order, order" in the House of Commons.

We're due to hear shortly. Here's a quick look back at Mr Bercow's career so far...

A dog has killed a swan in Broxbourne after jumping into a lake and attacking the bird and her cygnets.

Hertfordshire Police is appealing for witnesses to the attack between 15:00 and 16:00 on Saturday, 3 June, at the Aqueduct Lock on the River Lea.

Image source, Getty Images

Sgt Jamie Bartlett said: "I believe that there were a number of people in the area when the swan was attacked who have not yet spoken to police.

"I am also keen to speak to the owner of the dog that was involved so that we can establish exactly what has happened."

The welfare of the cygnets is being monitored by a local animal charity.

The jury has retired to consider its verdicts in the case of two men accused of killing Henry Huggins, who was attacked in Luton and died after 22 months in a coma.

Stewart Docherty, 42, of Townsley, Luton, denies murder.

James Early, 43, of Whipperley Ring, Luton, denies manslaughter.

It follows the summing up of the case this morning.

The blaze at Fairlands Valley Park in Stevenage produce a huge plume of smoke visible across the town.

Graeme Mac
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Following Leigh Greenan's departure from Ipswich Basketball Club, external yesterday, the man who coached the giant centre for 12 years is hoping he can go on to play for England at the Commonwealth Games.

Image source, Pavel Kricka

Nick Drane is backing Greenan to be a success next season with Division 1 side Hemel Storm,, external and believes that at 27, his best years are ahead of him.

"With modern science, professional athletes are playing for longer and it is no exaggeration to say that Leigh is a world class athlete," Drane told us.

"He is a freak of nature, the strongest man you will ever meet, and for someone that plays his role, his physical prime will come during the next 5 or 6 years.

"If he plays well for Hemel and the Commonwealth Games does happen for him, it is not too late for Leigh to do something special in the sport."

Graeme Mac
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

The outgoing head coach of Ipswich Basketball Club,, external Nick Drane (right), says he and star player Leigh Greenan (left) had discussed the latter's potential departure from Copleston not long after he first joined the club.

Image source, Pavel Kricka

Yesterday, Greenan joined NBL Division 1 side Hemel Storm,, external and the 27-year-old hopes the move will help him earn selection for England at next year's Commonwealth Games.

"This process started in my mind when Leigh first started playing basketball for us 12 years ago. We've been trying to subtly convince him to take a chance and really go for it," Drane said.

"He picked up a knee injury 18 months ago and things accelerated from there. We told him to use the following season to get in the best shape of his life and then review his options.

"He is good enough to play at the Commonwealth Games for sure, but he was never going to get picked while he was competing in Division 2.

"Next season will be different and hopefully the selectors will take note."

Closing speeches are under way in the trial of two men accused of killing Henry Huggins in an argument over an American pit bull dog.

Mr Huggins (pictured) spent 22 months in a coma before he died.

Stewart Docherty, 42, of Townsley, Luton, who, following the attack on Mr Huggins, pleaded guilty to causing him grievous bodily harm with intent, now faces a charge of murder.

James Early, 43, of Whipperley Ring, Luton, who was convicted of assault causing actual bodily harm, now faces a charge of manslaughter.

Image source, South Beds News Agency

Prosecutor Stuart Trimmer QC told Luton Crown Court James Early punched Mr Huggins in the face and he fell to the ground unconscious. It's then alleged that Stewart Docherty arrived and jumped on the head of the unconscious man.

Mr Trimmer said: "When emergency medics arrived, Mr Huggins was face up and unconscious. He suffered catastrophic brain damage. He remained alive in hospital, but in a persistent vegetative state until June 2015."

But, defending James Early, Christopher Donnellan QC said his client had traded blows with Mr Huggins outside his flat, but that was as far as it went.

He claimed Mr Docherty then arrived and carried out a "brutal attack" on the vulnerable Mr Huggins who was still laying on the floor, by stamping on and kicking his head a number of times.

The defence for Stewart Docherty is due to sum up its position as the case continues.

Both men deny the charges against them.

Workers at an IT company in Watford were told in an email to vote Conservative or risk redundancy.

An investigation began this morning into the cause of a fire which sent a giant plume of smoke above Stevenage yesterday evening.

Hertfordshire Fire Service was called to Fairlands Lake Valley Park at 20:45 to find a plastic walkway over the lake, decking and surrounding trees well alight.

Image source, Adam Elphick

Image source, Herts Fire

The fire was put out by 21:30.

Jeremy Stern
BBC South Today

The trial's begun of 18-year-old Brandon Lavender, who is accused of stabbing to death his 26-year-old brother, Daniel, at their mother's home in Aylesbury.

Reading Crown Court heard what started as a row between Daniel and his girlfriend about housework escalated into a confrontation with his brother, Brandon.

It happened on the ground floor of the family home on Brompton Close on 16 January.

The prosecution alleges that Brandon Lavender took a knife from the kitchen and stabbed his brother twice - once in the upper arm area and once in the stomach. One of the wounds was about 10cm (4in) deep, the court heard.

Giving evidence, Daniel Lavender's girlfriend Tina Clarke described how Daniel held his stomach and cried out in pain. She said she dialled 999 and an ambulance was called to the house.

The jury heard Brandon Lavender took the phone and told the operator: "I had a knife, I was messing around, it was a big knife, a kitchen knife. Quick, he's losing consciousness."

Daniel was taken to hospital but he had already lost blood and died the following morning.

Brandon Lavender denies murder. The case continues.

Matthew Lockwood
BBC Three Counties Radio

The boss of a Watford IT firm has apologised after seemingly threatening staff in an email with redundancy if they voted Labour on election day.

The email, sent by John Brooker at Storm Technologies to more than 100 employees and released by the GMB union, said Labour voters would be made redundant first if Jeremy Corbyn became prime minister.

Image source, PA

The email told staff to vote for the Conservative party if they believed in "free enterprise and progression".

It said: "If by any chance Labour win, we'll have to re-think a few things here at the company so if you value your job and want to hold onto your hard earned money vote Conservative.

"Labour voters will be made redundant first if Labour do win and things slow down."

Mr Brooker told the BBC the email was "tongue-in-cheek" and nothing more than "internal banter".

However, he said he regretted any offence caused and respected his staff's "political views and opinions".