Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

That's it from all of us here on the local live news feed for Beds, Herts and Bucks.

We'll be back with yet more news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 on Friday morning.

You can read all the stories we've covered by scrolling through the page.

Have a great evening everyone.

The line will replace the current shuttle bus between Luton Airport Parkway station and the terminal.

Lee Agnew
BBC Three Counties Radio

A child is in a critical condition after a "hit and run" in Luton this afternoon.

Bedfordshire Police says the child was airlifted to hospital after being hit by a vehicle on Hibbert Street, at about 14:50. The vehicle failed to stop.

The road remains closed while investigations continue.

Image source, Google

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

The £100m regeneration of the Wolverton railway works, external is set start next month.

The first building to be constructed will be a Lidl supermarket on Stratford Road, which should open next spring.

Nearly 400 homes, a community centre and public spaces will also be built on the site, and will sit side by side with existing railway businesses.

Wolverton works were built in 1838 and it became one of the most important railway depots in the country, with part of the site still being used today, although many old buildings are in a poor state and are not fit for purpose.

Image source, Purcell Architects

Luton Town left-back Dan Potts signs a new one-year contract, with the option of a further year.

Matt Lockwood
BBC Three Counties Radio

Earlier we reported that an investigation has been launched after it was claimed that a school bus jumped a level crossing on Marston road in Liddlingon.

Central Bedfordshire Council has now said that the bus did not cross "when they weren't supposed to".

This is after it watched CCTV footage from the bus company, which it said was "happy to cooperate".

The crossing hasn't been working on three consecutive afternoons this week after it developed a fault, preventing its barrier from closing.

A man died in January when the car he was in was hit by a London Midland train at the same crossing.

The council said: "Network Rail are aware of the issue with the lights and have people down there to direct the traffic flow, so whilst some cars are going through the crossing they are doing this whilst directed".

Jane Killick
BBC Three Counties Radio

It's been confirmed that a Hertfordshire company is involved with testing samples of external cladding, on Grenfell Tower and other high-rises, after the fire that left 79 people dead or missing, presumed dead.

Building Research Establishment (BRE) has four laboratories in Garston, near Watford, which specialise in fire safety testing.

In the Commons today, the Prime Minister Theresa May said the company was "testing the cladding on the building and they expect to make the results of this public, I think in the next 48 hours".

Image source, AFP

BRE said: "Over the past few days BRE has been working closely with the government and other stakeholders to determine how best to support the owners, operators and those living in similar tower blocks around the UK who are seeking information on their safety."

Jane Killick
BBC Three Counties Radio

Around 600 high rises across England are using similar cladding to Grenfell Tower, Downing Street estimates.

Tower blocks across the UK are being examined after the London blaze, which left 79 people dead or missing.

Locally, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service have confirmed that there are 73 buildings more than six storeys high in the county and it's working with local authorities to carry out a joint investigation programme.

A spokesman for the service said: "At present none of these tower blocks have been identified with potentially combustible cladding and no material has been sent away for testing.

"The lead on this testing is being taken by local authorities who have been given funds by the government to undertake this work."

Image source, Malc McDonald/Geograph

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

A Bedfordshire company thinks it has the answer to keeping fruit and vegetables fresh for longer, therefore cutting down on food waste.

It's Fresh, based in Cranfield, has produced a filter (pictured below) that's placed in packaging that absorbs the ripening hormone, ethylene, emitted by the fruit, to slow the ripening process down.

Image source, It's Fresh!™

Peter Durose, from the company, says they came up with the idea due to the "huge numbers (of wasted fruit) that go in the bin," especially strawberries.

Image source, Getty Images

It's already being used by some of the major UK supermarkets as well as across Europe and USA.

BBC Weather Watchers

Well it looks like the heatwave has ended for the time being.

The three counties had some rain this morning but this afternoon will be drier, brighter and fresher.

It will also be a lot cooler, with temperatures set to reach 23C (73F).

BBC Technology

Rail ticket machines across the UK fell out of service this morning, preventing travellers from using them to pay fares.

It affected Thameslink, Southern Rail and Greater Anglia services.

Thameslink said: "The problem is now fixed and all our machines are able to accept credit cards.

"Anyone who was unable to buy a ticket as a result of the problem will not be penalised."

Customers were still able to buy tickets online via the web and apps.

Image source, PA

Justin Dealey
BBC Three Counties Radio

A £2.8m water park for Milton Keynes is to open next month, but some potential customers have criticised the planned admission price.

The Splash 'n Play at Willen Lake will take on paying customers from 15 July.

It's run by the charity the Parks Trust, external and will cost £3 per child for a 25 minute session.

Image source, The Parks Trust

Some parents and grandparents told me they thought the charges were "outrageous", "too much money", "scandalous", " a little bit naughty" and they won't be using it due to the high cost and short time limit.

Image source, The Parks Trust

But David Foster, the chief executive of the Parks Trust, defended the charges, saying it will "keep it under review, and see how it goes".

He added 25 minutes was a "good length of time for kids".

BBC Business News

Three bids have been shortlisted to operate the HS2 high-speed railway which will run through Buckinghamshire.

The companies are competing for the West Coast Partnership franchise, which will include services on the existing West Coast route through the Three Counties, and initial HS2 trains between London and Birmingham.

The Department for Transport (DfT), external says First Trenitalia West Coast, MTR West Coast Partnership and West Coast Partnership have been selected.

Image source, PA

The photo below shows the damage caused by a fire in a wood close to Tingewick in Buckinghamshire last night.

Image source, Fire Buckingham

Crews from Buckingham, Winslow and Aylesbury were called at about 19:21 after about 100m (328ft) by 60m (197ft) of woodland undergrowth was burnt by Barton Road.

Image source, Fire Buckingham

Image source, Fire Buckingham

Ollie Bayliss
BBC Three Counties Radio

Opposition councillors are challenging plans by Milton Keynes Council to fund traffic calming measures in Bedfordshire, and have "called in" the decision.

The council is giving £50,000 to Central Bedfordshire Council to reduce the traffic in Aspley Guise.

Image source, Google

The Bedfordshire authority said it requested the funds because Aspley Guise had to deal with traffic travelling to and from Milton Keynes.

A spokesman said: "For the last two years we have been trying to get a traffic calming scheme for Aspley Guise, as a lot of traffic that currently passes through Aspley Guise on the way to the M1 at J13 comes from Milton Keynes.

"We are still currently waiting for confirmation of the exact sum [Milton Keynes Council] will offer towards the total cost."

Conservative councillors in Milton Keynes have called the decision bizarre, arguing that council tax payers' money should be used for improvements to Milton Keynes and not being used in the neighbouring county.

The Labour-led Milton Keynes Council has not commented, but Conservative councillor John Bint, who represents the Broughton Ward, said there were a number of outstanding traffic issues in his constituency and he keeps "being told that the council would love to do more to solve them but it doesn't have the money".

"And then we get told that money that was allocated for solving these problems in our ward... they've given it, we discover later, to Central Bedfordshire," he said.

"I've been a councillor for the best part of 10 years and this has never happened to my knowledge in this time... this is really unusual."

They pulled over to rescue two people from a burning car on the motorway.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Earlier we told you how two people were rescued from a burning car on the M1 by members of the public who potentially saved their lives.

We've now got a bit more information about the incident.

Image source, Kerrie Stewart

Hertfordshire Police said people had been pulled out of the Peugeot 307 before officers arrived and no-one was trapped inside the vehicle when the force got there.

Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue service sent five crews and said both the lorry and the car were well alight when it attended at 15:52.

East of England Ambulance Service said one person was taken to an urgent care centre and four or five other people were treated for less serious injuries.

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

The low cost airline Wizz Air is opening its first UK base at Luton Airport today.

The company, which has been flying from Luton since 2004, has created 36 local jobs and has added three new routes - to Tel Aviv in Israel, Pristina in Kosovo and Kutaisi in Georgia.

Owain Jones, chief corporate officer, says it's the next "big move" for the company as it wants to stick to its business model of flying to eastern Europe, which it sees as a "huge growth market".

He says Britain leaving Europe "made us think" about expanding in the UK but it has "confidence in the strength of UK business".

Image source, Wizz Air

A train travelling between Tring and London was delayed by a few minutes this morning after the driver dropped the key on to the track.

He apologised over the loud speaker as the London Midland Service pulled into Euston at about 08:00.

He explained that he'd dropped the key on to the track, and there was a delay because he had go into the office to collect a spare.

BBC Sport

Watford are in talks with Derby over an £8m deal for England Under-21 midfielder Will Hughes.

The BBC understands discussions are now at an advanced stage, and the deal is likely to be completed once Hughes returns from England duty at the Under-21 championships in Poland.

Image source, Getty Images

Hughes has made 165 Championship appearances for the Rams and was linked with a move to Liverpool in 2013.