Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

That's it for another week from all of us here on the Local Live team for Beds, Herts and Bucks.

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

If you've missed anything throughout the day, you can scroll through the page to read how Stevenage's Lewis Hamilton got on in practice at Silverstone, how neighbours are helping a keen gardener to buy more plants and how Easyjet is looking to open a new headquarters in Vienna.

So whatever you're doing this weekend, I hope it's a good one.

I know mine will involve a nice glass (or two). Cheers!

Image source, Getty Images

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

The jury in the case of man who denied killing a father in a street fight in Luton has failed to reach a verdict.

Richard Wood, 27, from Luton, who now lives in London Road, Bognor Regis, was on trial at Luton Crown Court charged with the manslaughter of Kevin Kelly, 27, who's also from the town.

The court had heard Mr Kelly (pictured) died as a result of a bleed on the brain.

The retrial of Mr Wood has been set for January next year.

Image source, Bedfordshire Police

Roberto Perrone
BBC Three Counties Radio

To help celebrate her 90th year, Dame Cleo Laine and her family are hosting The Dankworth Family Festival in the grounds of her home in Wavendon, Milton Keynes, this weekend.

The event that runs until Sunday is described as a "boutique festival celebrating all things jazz, blues, classical, poetry and art". All profits will go to the Beds and Northants MS Therapy Centre.

I'm live at the festival, on BBC Three Counties Radio this afternoon, where I interviewed the musical legend.

She's full of wit and sparkle and told me she always does as she's told with events like this.

"I just go to where I am pointed, I'll put my face on and I will be there," she said.

Talking about the event itself, she said: "We gather it all together and plonk it down in the garden and away they go."

The soprano Lesley Garret is set to perform and described the Dame as a "living legend" and "beyond national treasure status".

This Sunday the family of a Cheshunt teenager who drowned while swimming in the Lee Valley country park is holding an "It's a Knockout-style event" to raise awareness towards water safety.

On 25 May, Robbie Lea, 16, was swimming with friends in a former quarry at Cheshunt when he got into trouble. After being pulled from the water, paramedics were unable to save him.

The event at Cheshunt Country Club is being held just three days before what would have been his 17th birthday.

Image source, Sarah Lea

His mother, Sarah, said: "I want the day to be a massive success to be able to make a difference.

"It's going to be a mix of emotions on the day as it would be the weekend we would have been celebrating Robbie's 17th birthday.

"It will be a great day for his friends, people that knew him and people that want to support the cause to come together and have some fun."

The family is also fundraising for the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance.

National League side Boreham Wood sign Stevenage defender Ryan Johnson on a season-long loan deal.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer at Silverstone

Valtteri Bottas led Stevenage's Lewis Hamilton to a Mercedes one-two in second practice at the British Grand Prix.

Bottas headed Hamilton by just 0.047 seconds despite the Briton setting his best time on the slower soft tyre.

Hamilton went off track through the fast Becketts section on his qualifying simulation run on the super-soft tyres and then pitted to check for damage.

Image source, Getty Images

Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen was third, 0.332secs behind Bottas, 0.128secs ahead of team-mate Sebastian Vettel.

Milton Keynes-based Red Bull had looked quick in the first session - splitting the Mercedes and Ferraris - but fell back slightly in the second session to be fifth and sixth, Max Verstappen ahead of Daniel Ricciardo.

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

Network Rail has identified nine level crossings in Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire that are potentially dangerous.

They fear children distracted by wearing headphones and looking at their phones could be seriously injured and killed.

So as part of a new safety campaign , externallaunched today, it is using new "geo-fencing technology" to highlight which crossings could be unsafe. It works by an "ad" appearing if they are on a mobile device by one of the crossings.

"Many people are aware of the issue of distraction for drivers, but it is very worrying that so many young adults admit to putting themselves at unnecessary risk by getting distracted when crossing the railway," Allan Spence, from Network Rail, said.

"By paying attention to the warnings at level crossings and avoiding distractions, we can all keep ourselves out of harm’s way," he added.

The crossings that are causing concern are in places including Bledlow Cum Saunderton, Chearsley, Stoke Mandeville and Cotton Mill Lane.

Andy Holmes
BBC Three Counties Radio political reporter

Plans to bring the fire service in Hertfordshire under the control of the police and crime commissioner (PCC) look set to be rejected by Hertfordshire County Council.

The council currently runs the service, but a consultation has been launched by the PCC for Hertfordshire, David Lloyd, external, as he wants to hold both services to account, with a chief constable and chief fire officer still in charge.

A meeting of the Community Safety and Waste Management Cabinet Panel voted to oppose the plans.

Image source, Herts Fire Contol

Councillor Terry Hone, who represents Letchworth South, said: "We do recognise that it's important for emergency services to work together, so the recommendation the panel is making to Cabinet is that the best option for the fire service would be for it to remain part of the county council, but with the PCC given a strong formal role in how it's run."

The panel's recommendations will go to a full council meeting on 18 July.

The consultation runs until 14 August.

Geoff Doyle
BBC Three Counties Radio sport

Nathaniel Chalobah's return to Watford from Chelsea for an undisclosed fee will no doubt be popular with the vast majority of Hornets fans.

He's coming back to Watford five years after he left.

He made a huge impact as a teenager in the Championship, had successful loan spells at various clubs including Napoli, Nottingham Forest and Middlesborough, before returning to the Chelsea first team last season, featuring 15 times.

Image source, Watford FC

He's impressed at England under-21 level alongside another summer new recruit, Will Hughes.

Along with Roberto Pereyra, Tom Cleverley and Abdoulaye Doucouré, the Watford midfield now has a very impressive look to it.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

Valtteri Bottas set the pace as Mercedes dominated first practice at the British Grand Prix.

The Finn, who won in Austria last Sunday, was 0.078 seconds quicker than Stevenage team-mate Lewis Hamilton, as the two swapped fastest times through the session.

Hamilton's main title rival Sebastian Vettel was only sixth quickest, 1.411secs off the pace after a big spin at the fast Becketts curves and a trip over the kerbs at Village.

Image source, Getty Images

Hamilton is 20 points behind Vettel in the championship, with Bottas a further 15 points behind.

Milton Keynes-based Red Bull were Mercedes' closest rivals out on the track on Friday morning as the weekend started under grey skies and with a chill wind and temperatures at only 15-16C.

Emily Bushaway died when staff at a hospice in Oxford failed to replace part of her breathing tube.

Residents have raised money for a man's garden, described by passers-by as "joyous".

Winston Abela, 74, has lived in Hemel Hempstead for four years and tends to his garden for four hours each day.

So far more than £200 has been raised for him, as well of donations of flowers, tools and even a fish and chip supper every Friday.

Luke Ashmead
BBC Three Counties Radio sport

Robbie Neilson says he had to "beat off a number of clubs, including Championship sides, to bring him here".

The man the MK Dons manager is on about is Wolverhampton Wanderers' defender Ethan Ebanks-Landell, external, who's heading to Buckinghamshire on a season-long loan deal.

The 24-year-old centre-back, who has 111 career appearances to his name, spent the 2016-17 season on loan with Sheffield United and helped them to the Sky Bet League One title, featuring 34 times and scoring five goals.

Image source, MK Dons

"His record speaks for itself having won the League One title twice in the past four years. I'm very excited about having him as part of the squad this season," the manager added.

League One side MK Dons sign Wolves centre-back Ethan Ebanks-Landell on a season-long loan.

BBC Business News

Luton-based airline Easyjet says Austrian authorities are poised to clear its new post-Brexit venture for take-off.

The company is planning to establish a new airline, Easyjet Europe, which will have its headquarters in Vienna.

This will "enable Easyjet to continue to operate flights both across Europe and domestically within European countries after the UK has left the EU (regardless of the outcome of talks on a future UK-EU aviation agreement)", said the airline in a statement.

Image source, Getty Images

It said the accreditation process was "now well advanced" and added that it hoped to receive an Air Operator Certificate and operating licence "in the near future".

"The people and planes that will fly for Easyjet Europe are already employed and based in EU27 countries," it said.

Lucy Martin
BBC Weather

Early showers will give way to a dry day with temperatures peaking at 20C (68F) across the BBC East region.

The weekend will also be mostly dry, but cloudy.

Here's my full forecast:

For a more detailed forecast where you are, visit BBC Weather.

Adam Jinkerson
BBC Local Live

Good morning and welcome to another day of live updates for Beds, Herts and Bucks on Friday, 14 July.

We'll be here until 18:00 with the latest news, sport, weather and travel as it happens.

A full forecast for the day is on the way and as it's Friday, we'll try our best to make it a good one.

Already looking OK in Elstree...

You can get in touch with us on Twitter, external and Facebook, external.

Watford sign midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah from Chelsea on a five-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

Watford sell Nigeria striker Odion Ighalo to Chinese Super League side Changchun Yatai in a £20m deal.

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

That's it from all of us here at Local Live for Beds, Herts and Bucks.

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

If you missed any of the stories, you can scroll through the page and read all the days updates.

But I'll leave you with some blooming lovely photos of the newly restored Water Gardens in Hemel Hempstead.

Image source, South Beds News Agency

They were created by renowned landscape designer Geoffrey Jellicoe in 1962 and since 2015 they have been transformed.

Image source, South Beds News Agency

After more than £3m of investment, the gardens will be formally opened on 22 July.