BBC Sport

Hertfordshire's Aljaz Bedene is in the third round of Wimbledon action today for the first time in his career.

Image source, Getty Images

The 27-year-old faces Luxembourg's Gilles Muller in the first match on court two at about 11:30.

The world number 58 lost to Muller at a grass-court tournament in the Netherlands last month, but it was three tight sets.

"He loves grass," said Bedene. "He's won Hertogenbosch. He played semis at Queen's. He loves serve-and-volley play. He's quite aggressive.

"I played him a few weeks ago so I know, I wouldn't say his weaknesses, because there aren't many, but if I play my game, I've got a chance."

Bedene joins three other British players in the third round - Andy Murray, Johanna Konta and Heather Watson.

You can follow the game by visiting Wimbledon 2017 here.

Tony Fisher
BBC Three Counties Radio

Dr Trevor Fernandes, a local GP and member of Herts Valleys CCG board, says he "empathises" with his patients who won't be referred for IVF treatment.

This is after health officials suspended the treatment while a six-month consultation is carried out.

He understood it was a "distressing situation for a lot of patients", but said anyone who had already been referred would get treatment and some exceptions would be in place - for example, someone coming up to their age limit.

"There are big funding gaps and our job is to make sure people having heart attacks, strokes, who have cancer, get the care they need," said Dr Fernandes.

"We know these are difficult decisions, but we have to look at the greater population and make a decision so people can get the urgent care they need, when they need it.

"In the age of austerity, we have to make sure we keep essential services."

Image source, Science Photo Library

The consultation runs, external until 11 September.

Tony Fisher
BBC Three Counties Radio

Health officials in Hertfordshire have suspended the provision of IVF treatment with immediate effect.

Image source, Getty Images

Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) says it is suspending the service, external ahead of a six month consultation.

The CCG - which needs to save in the region of £40m to balance its books - insists the suspension "by no means pre-determines the outcome of the consultation".

It said it has been put in place to prevent "an unsustainable backlog building up during the review period".

People living in the area covered by the CCG - Watford, St Albans and Hemel Hempstead - have told the BBC it will have a very damaging effect.

Susie Gower, from the Hertfordshire Fertility Support Group, said: "It's very difficult because women are looking towards IVF as an avenue to help them become parents and to have this taken away from them - it's their only lifeline they have to actually achieving that."

Other proposals to save money include limiting certain medicines and hearing aids on prescription.

We'll bring you a response from a doctor and CCG board member shortly.

Meanwhile, to have your say in the consultation, visit the A Healthier Future, external website.

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

Meanwhile, these rather depressing pictures show the state a dog was in when she was discovered by a dog warden in Milton Keynes.

The Staffordshire bull terrier, now named Millie, was found in Polruan Place, Fishermead, with red raw and bleeding skin. She's being looked after by the RSPCA.

Image source, RSPCA

Susan Haywood from the charity, said: "Poor Millie has lost almost all of her fur as a result of the skin condition 'mange', which has also resulted in her being covered in scabs.

"She must have been so uncomfortable and in so much pain.

"We are keen to find her owner so we can establish how she managed to get into this state."

Image source, RSPCA

"We want to make it clear that if you have a pet, you are responsible for ensuring the animal receives veterinary treatment for any conditions which may arise," she added.

Usman Azad
BBC Three Counties Radio

Kimberly McGuinness, the owner of Crystal - the 10-year-old horse who was violently attacked - says she's recovering, but on a "lot of medication" to treat burns and other injuries.

The owner of the Sunshine Riding School in Luton said she discovered the horse curled up in her field in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

"[It was] very, very, odd. We had trouble getting her back on her feet. We could barely walk her back to the yard," said Ms McGuinness.

Image source, Kimberly McGuinness

She said Crystal "will be scarred", adding "the bruising has all come out".

Image source, Kimberly McGuinness

Security will be increased at the riding school, with extra CCTV to cover the fields.

Championship side Bristol City confirm they are looking at out-of-contract Wycombe Wanderers defender Aaron Pierre.

Usman Azad
BBC Three Counties Radio

A horse was violently whipped, repeatedly kicked, burned with a cigarette and had part of its mane ripped out during a vicious attack in Luton.

The 10-year-old mare was attacked at Sunshine Riding School in Warden Hill, between 22:00 on Monday and midnight on Tuesday.

Image source, Kimberly McGuinness

Image source, Kimberly McGuinness

Owner Kimberly McGuinness said a vet spent four hours treating the horse and documenting the injuries.

She's worried others nearby could be attacked.

Rob Hartley, from the RSPCA, said this kind of attack was "still very rare", but described the injuries as "horrible".

Police are appealing for witnesses.

BBC Sport

Colchester United have added goalkeeper Rene Gilmartin to their squad for the new League Two campaign.

He's signed after being released by Watford at the end of last season.

Image source, Getty Images

The 30-year-old signed twice for Watford in his career and also played for Walsall, Yeovil Town, Crawley Town and Plymouth Argyle.

Dublin-born Gilmartin made his debut in international football for the Republic of Ireland at under-19 and under-21 levels and also played for League of Ireland side St Patrick's Athletic.

His deal at Colchester is for an undisclosed length of time.

Lucy Martin
BBC Weather

Bright or sunny spells will dominate and it will become very warm in a light breeze although cloud cover will increase in places.

Some rain showers are expected during a very muggy night.

Maximum Temperature: 27C (81F)

More details from BBC Weather:

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Good morning and welcome back to Local Live across Beds, Herts and Bucks, where we'll be here until 18:00 bringing you the latest news, sport, weather and travel for ythe area.

Today is Tell the Truth Day, external apparently - but shouldn't it always be? I'll let you ponder on that - but meanwhile a full regional weather forecast is coming up shortly.

As always, if you want to get in touch you can by email, Facebook, external or Twitter, external.

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

That's it from all of us here.

We've signed off for the day, but do not fear, we'll be back from 08:00 on Friday morning bringing you more news, sport, travel and weather.

If you have missed anything during the day, you can scroll through the page to read many stories including seeing for yourself just how striking the new goalkeepers' kit for Wycombe Wanderers is, as well as finding out what a "dust devil" is.

Until then, have a good night everyone.

Jonathan Amos
Science correspondent, BBC News

The two satellites that make up the BepiColombo mission to Mercury were presented to the media today.

This joint European-Japanese venture has been in development for two decades, but should finally get to the launch pad next year.

The two spacecraft, which have been mainly put together by scientists at Airbus in Stevenage, will travel together to the baking world but separate on arrival to conduct their own studies.

Today's event was the last chance journalists would get to view the full "flight stack", as it is called.

Europe's Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and Japan's Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO) will shortly be unbolted from each other for some final individual testing, prior to shipment to the launch site in French Guiana.

The double mission, external is due to get under way in October 2018. An Ariane rocket has been booked to carry all the equipment skyward.

Everyone will have to be patient, however. It is going to take seven years for the satellite duo to get to their destination.

Image source, Airbus

Jane Killick
BBC Three Counties Radio

A new service to reduce reoffending rates in the Armed Forces has been launched today by Thames Valley Police. , external

The force is one of the first in the county to offer the help, in collaboration with SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity.

PC Antony Colton said: "Anyone who comes into contact with TVP and who is identified as having any links with the British Armed Forces will be offered the opportunity to be referred to SSAFA, a charity that offers practical, emotional and financial support to serving personnel, veterans and their families.

"The purpose of this service is to better support our Armed Forces community whilst helping reduce crime and rates of offending and reoffending" and get them "the support they need".

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

Items that are normally found in a vehicle recovery yard mostly include cars and vans, but sometimes something fishy can go on.

The RSPCA was called in when 20 goldfish and four angelfish (like the one pictured) were found in a car that had been in an accident and then taken to a yard in Toddington.

The goldfish were in one plastic bag, the anglefish another, and next to a fish tank and aquatic equipment.

Image source, RSPCA

Lauren Bailey, from the charity, said "Unfortunately, two of the goldfish had already perished - possibly due to a lack of oxygen in the bag, but thankfully I was able to get the rest of the fish to the aquatics specialist in time."

The owner of the fish was not traced so the fish were rehomed by a member of staff at an aquatics shop.

Lee Agnew
BBC Three Counties Radio

A St Albans man has been convicted of the attempted murder of a man who he knew for more than a decade.

Craig Sutherland, 40, of Townsend Avenue, St Albans, was found guilty at St Albans Crown Court.

Hertfordshire Police says Sutherland stabbed Verinder Rajput, 46, inside his flat on 12 September last year.

Mr Rajput suffered 12 stab wounds to his back, neck, head, hands and torso and spent two months in hospital recovering.

Det Insp Pushpa said: "This was a violent and sustained attack that almost cost Mr Rajput his life.

"Sutherland had known his victim for more than 10 years but this did not stop him from taking a kitchen knife and repeatedly stabbing him over a minor disagreement.

"Today, Mr Rajput continues to recover from the significant injuries he sustained."

Sutherland is due to be sentenced on 1 September.

Mousumi Bakshi
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

Detectives investigating the discovery of a human head in May last year are now looking into deaths on the railway track at Sharnbrook in Bedfordshire, to see if they can identify the victim.

The head was found at a quarry in Mepal, Cambridgeshire, but officers believe it had come from Bedfordshire, where repair work was being carried out on a railway bridge.

Police are now working with the British Transport Police, investigating deaths on the track going back to 1990.

Geoff Doyle
BBC Three Counties Radio sport

A football match to honour the former Watford manager Graham Taylor will take place at Vicarage Road on 5 August.

The club has confirmed Spanish side Real Sociedad will contest the Graham Taylor Trophy, external, with a 15:00 kick-off.

The former gaffer died on 12 January, aged 72.

Tickets have yet to go on sale.

Image source, Getty Images

Kate Bradbrook
BBC Look East

Bedfordshire Police was out in force today to pay respect to former Chief Constable Alf Hitchcock.

The 58-year-old died on 16 June after a short illness.

After the service, his cortege stopped outside the police headquarters in Kempston.

A short service was held and a salute taken by Deputy Chief Constable Mike Colbourne.

Steve Swann
BBC Home Affairs Correspondent

Research by the BBC shows that more than 100 people in the UK have now been convicted of terrorism offences relating to Syria and Iraq since 2014.

They include the oldest - a 63-year-old driving instructor from Luton - plus a number of others from the town.

For the last two years the BBC has tracked the numbers of people from the UK who have been drawn into the conflict in Syria and Iraq.

The BBC figures show there are 19 people from Luton in our database. Nine of those have been convicted of offences and nine of them are believed to be in Syria. These are members of a family of 12 - we haven't included their children - that left for Syria in 2015.

High Wycombe also features, with four people from there are on our database.

Who are Britain's jihadists? - search 269 people the BBC's database