Tony Fisher
BBC Three Counties Radio

One man has been released on bail, and another will face no further action, after being arrested on suspicion of murder.

They were being questioned by police after a man was pulled from the River Great Ouse, at the Riverside Embankment in Bedford on Tuesday morning, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

A post-mortem examination was inconclusive and the death is being treated as unexplained.

Further tests are due to be carried out to find out the cause of death.

Image source, Thomas Nugent/Geograph

Lee Agnew
BBC Three Counties Radio

A satellite which will monitor pollution levels on Earth is beginning its journey from Stevenage to its launch site in Russia.

Sentinel-5P has been assembled by scientists at Airbus as part of a Europe-wide space programme.

Image source, Airbus

It will gather data that experts hope will improve the management of the environment and understand and mitigate the effects of climate change.

It's due to be blasted into space in September.

BBC News Travel

A fallen tree has caused some disruption and delays on the railway this afternoon.

Network Rail staff have now removed the tree by Gerrards Cross on the Chiltern Line from Marylebone.

All lines have now reopened, but delays and cancellations are expeced.

Image source, Chiltern Railways

BBC Sport

It's been a good day in the opening round of The Open at Berkdale, for Woburn's Ian Poulter, as he held the lead for some time.

He finished -3 with a round of 67 and was clubhouse leader for some time.

Jordan Speith is also back in the clubhouse and finished on -5 along with fellow American Brooks Koepka.

For the latest, follow BBC Sport's live reporting page from Southport.

Image source, Getty Images

Police involved in the fatal shooting of a man in Luton are to ask a coroner for anonymity at an inquest.

Kate Bradbrook
BBC Look East

The number of knife crimes has increased across Beds, Herts and Bucks, according to Home Office and the Office of National Statistics (ONS), which have released the annual crime statistics today.

Knife crime went up in Bedfordshire by 52% year on year, in Hertfordshire by 34% and in the Thames Valley Police area, which includes Buckinghamshire, by 32%.

Robbery and assault with a knife was the most common offence.

Image source, Billy's Wish

Paul Dove, whose son Billy, 21, (pictured) was stabbed and killed during a night out in Hemel Hempstead in November 2011, set up the Billy’s Wish, external charity to educate young people about the dangers of knife crime.

He said that to prevent further tragedies, the country needs "stiffer sentences, licences on knives and more money put into the education of children carrying knives".

"We’ve got to go harder," he said.

"As soon as they’re caught carrying [knives], double [or] treble the sentences.

"If you strike somebody with a knife you’ve got to be looking at a minimum, without doing serious damage [to someone], of five years [in prison]."

Darren McGrath, 17, who was convicted of Billy Dove’s murder in 2012, was jailed for 14 years.

At the time McGrath, of Essex Mead, Hemel Hempstead, was on a supervision order for stabbing a schoolboy and drug offences.

Gareth Lloyd
BBC Three Counties Radio

The first multi-brand electric car showroom has opened its doors in Milton Keynes, and I've been lucky enough to have a sneak preview of what's on offer.

The store is in centre:mk and is run by Luton-based Chargemaster, external.

It opens to the public on Saturday.

David Martell, Chargemaster's chief executive, said: "The whole idea is to take away some of the myths about ownership of electric cars - people thinking the range is bad, the performance is not very good, they are expensive - all those are false.

"You can get some very good value electric cars now and there are lots of charging points and the range are doing 200 miles now."

Simon Oxley
BBC Three Counties Radio

Armed robbers have threatened staff at gunpoint before stealing money from a Bedfordshire village football club.

The club say three masked men entered Barton Rovers FC in Barton-le-Clay at about 00:43 on Wednesday.

Club chairman Darren Whiley said: "Our staff are OK, shaken and also angry that scum bags could do this in what appears to be a pre-targeted attack.

"Any info, big or small, please get in touch."

He's appealing for people to check their CCTV footage from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning to look for "anything suspicious".

Image source, Barton Rovers

Ged Scott
BBC Sport at Royal Birkdale

Ian Poulter, runner-up here in the 2008 Open, admits he only used his driver four times on his way to an opening-round three-under 67.

"There's no right or wrong way to play links golf," said the 41-year-old Ryder Cup star. "It's all about keeping out of the traps and it worked for me."

Poulter, who has dropped out of the world top 50 following injury, had to come through qualifying to get here, being watched by an unexpectedly large gallery of several thousand followers as he qualified on his home course at Woburn.

"I've been surprised by the amount of people who have come up to me and said 'well done' for not just qualifying, but actually turning up to play in Final Qualifying," he added.

"But I always planned to do that. If you have a chance to play in the best golf competition in the world then you should it. It's quite simple."

Police officers involved in the fatal shooting of a man in Luton in November, are to ask the Bedfordshire coroner for anonymity when an inquest is heard.

The request was made at a pre-inquest review into the death of Josh Pitt, 24, from Leighton Buzzard.

Image source, South Beds News Agency

The coroner in Ampthill, Ian Pears, said the officers' representatives will have to make written submissions before the inquest is heard.

Mr Pitt was shot in the chest when officers were called to Hibbert Street.

Image source, South Beds News Agency

At the time of the incident, Bedfordshire Police said they were responding to a report that Mr Pitt had attacked a woman in a flat at Tracey Court.

A date for the full inquest hasn't been fixed, but it's expected to be in late November or December.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is also investigating the circumstances.

BBC Sport

Today is going well for Woburn's Ian Poulter ...

He's been top of the leader board for most of the opening day at The Open at Birkdale.

National League side Leyton Orient sign winger Jobi McAnuff on a one-year deal from Stevenage on a free transfer.

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

A charity is calling for a report into the regime at Woodhill prison in Milton Keynes to be made public.

INQUEST, external wants findings by Simon Shaw, former prison and probation ombudsman, to be published.

Selan Cavcav from the organisation said: "Even the families of the people who died in Woodhill have not seen the report yet, I think it's very important, in terms of restoring the public confidence that this report is published."

It follows the death of 18 inmates from suicide since 2013.

Image source, South Beds News Agency

We've asked the Ministry of Justice for a response.

The electrification of the Midland Mainline, external (London-Sheffield) north of Kettering is "no longer necessary" according to the government.

In a statement issued in the past hour, external, the transport secretary Chris Grayling said new modern bi-mode trains, which can operate on diesel or electric, will be introduced on the line, meaning "disruptive" electrification work on the line to Nottingham and Sheffield won't be needed.

The government says passengers will benefit from more seats and faster journey times.

Image source, Google

BBC Sport

Woburn's Ian Poulter is currently at 2-under and maintaining his lead on day one at The Open along with Justin Rose.

BBC Sport

It's been a good start already for Woburn's Ian Poulter who's currently top of the leader board, external at The Open - he birdied the ninth hole to retake the overall lead on -2.

At the moment his play is not the main topic of conversation on the BBC's Open live reporting page but what he's wearing is...

They say "You know the most remarkable thing about Ian Poulter this morning? Not that he is leading the early running. Nope, it is that he has not got a speck of dirt on those John Travolta pants".

Image source, Getty Images

Thames Valley Police said they were still investigating the circumstances of the crash.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Earlier this week, we told you that Hertfordshire County Council said it was committed to extending the running of Nascot Lawn, external respite home in Watford beyond the planned closure date set by Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group, external (CCG).

Image source, Google

The CCG had decided a respite care home for young people with disabilities should close at the end of October, despite campaigners collecting 14,000 signatures on a petition to keep it open.

We've now had a statement from the CCG, who, after a meeting with the council last night to "to explain our decision and to hear councillors’ views", said they are standing by their decision to close the home.

It said they remain committed to meeting the childrens' health needs, but can't continue to fund short breaks services after 31 October.

It also said it welcomed the council's "resolution to extend the funding" after that date in order to secure suitable alternative provision for the affected families.

Chairman Dr Nicolas Small said: "We note the county council’s interest in working in partnership with the CCG to achieve this and we would be happy to explore with them what that might mean.

"... we remain committed to meeting the health needs of this group of children and young people in line with our responsibilities.

"Where the joint health and social care assessments show that children need health related support in any short breaks services we will work with the county council to make sure their health needs are provided for.”

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Golf's Open Championship got under way at Royal Birkdale in Merseyside earlier this morning.

Image source, Getty Images

Ian Poulter, who qualified at his home course of Woburn, teed off just after 08:00, with what's been described on the BBC's Open Live Reporting page as a "bold choice of trousers" - he's in bright white after the day started off with a downpour!

Watford's Callum Shinkwin, fresh from his second place at the Scottish Open, starts at 12.20 and Buckinghamshire's Tyrell Hatton starts just before 13:00.

Judging by Poulter's Twitter feed this week, he's happy with his bunker play:

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

The eleven Hertfordshire MPs have written to the Home Secretary and Herts County Council in support of plans by the county's Police and Crime Commissioner, external, David Lloyd, to take over the running of the county's fire and rescue service.

It comes as the Conservative-led county council has formally decided to object to the plan, which is currently out for public consultation until 14 August.

The MPs, who are all Conservative, say they back the plan as money currently spent on administration can be used for front line services.

The county council says the move is not in the interests of economy, efficiency, effectiveness or public safety.

Image source, @HertsFRSControl