Lisa Wright
Journalist, BBC News Online

The ownership of commuter trains into London is changing.

The government has awarded the franchise currently run by London Midland , externalto a new joint company, called West Midlands Rail, external, involving Abellio and a Japanese firm.

It will affect services from Northampton, via Milton Keynes, Leighton Buzzard, Hemel Hempstead and Watford into Euston, as well as the Bedford to Bletchley service and the St Albans Abbey to Watford line.

The changes will start in December, with extra trains being promised.

Image source, West Midlands Rail

London Midland managing director, Patrick Verwer, has congratulated the new firm and says it will "bring much welcomed investment in new services and extra capacity across the network".

BBC Business News

Tour operator TUI, which is based in Luton, has confirmed it is looking at reinstating holidays from the UK to Tunisia, but will make a final decision based on demand.

Last month, the UK government revised its travel advice for Tunisia, where 31 Britons were killed in the terror attack in Sousse in 2015.

For two years, travellers were told to stay away from the country for all but essential travel.

TUI is already flying tourists from Belgium and Germany to the north African country.

TUI said sales rose by 12.6% in the third quarter to 4.78bn euros (£4.3bn) while profits rose by 37.7% to 221.6m euros.

Image source, Getty Images

The firm also said the re-branding of Thomson in the UK to TUI would be completed by the autumn.

Watford sign striker Andre Gray from Burnley for an undisclosed club record fee - thought to be about £18.5m.

Justin Dealey
BBC Three Counties Radio

A woman from Dunstable, whose daughter was killed in a car crash, has said she wants to train as a special constable to try and prevent other road deaths.

Image source, Family photo

Kate Goldsmith's daughter Aimee, 11, as well as her stepbrothers and their mother, were killed on the A34 in Berkshire last August when a lorry ploughed into stationary traffic.

Tomasz Kroker was looking at his phone screen. He was jailed for ten years.

Earlier this year, Ms Goldsmith joined traffic officers on patrol in the fight against drivers using mobile phones at the wheel.

On the first anniversary of the deaths, she's told the BBC that she wants to work with the police to warn people of the dangers.

"I just could not believe how much the police are expected to do, and they do it on such limited resources and they're very effective," she said.

"I want to help them, and if there's anyway I can help them then it's through being a special."

Bedfordshire Police say it is "vital" that any crime is reported to them.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

A woman from Radlett who read about an unclaimed winning lottery ticket in the local paper has won £1m.

Image source, Camelot UK

Brenda Page, 66, had scooped the Lotto Millionaire Raffle prize in July, but hadn't checked her ticket which she bought at a newsagents in Shenley Road, Borehamwood.

She shares the prize with her daughter, Julie, 32, who said: "Mum buys our tickets four weeks in advance, and only checks them when she buys the next four-week batch, so there’s always a bit of a lag.

"Mum was flicking through the local paper when she saw a story about an unclaimed lottery ticket and decided she’d check ours, not for a second thinking that it would be worth £1m!”

Both are planning to buy themselves new homes.

Nic Rigby
BBC News

You may have seen the news which came through last night that a Buckinghamshire sixth-form pupil has died on a school trip to Ecuador.

Image source, Google

Matthew Hitchman, 17, from the Royal Grammar School, external in High Wycombe, fell from an inflatable white water raft on Sunday.

Pupils from the state school had just completed a trek to the Northern Andes as part of a month-long community project.

The school said attempts to rescue Matthew "proved impossible".

The other 11 boys on the trip are returning to the UK.

A spokesman for World Challenge, which organised the trek, said a full independent review was already under way.

We'll bring you more on this story as we get it.

Lucy Martin
BBC Weather

After yesterday's cool and wet weather, today is due to be drier, brighter and warmer across the BBC East region, with just a chance of a few showery outbreaks of rain in some coastal areas.

Maximum temperature: 20C (68F).

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Welcome back to Local Live - we'll be here until 18:00 with the latest news, sport, weather and travel updates for your area.

A regional weather forecast will be with you shortly, but it's already looking to be a bit brighter than yesterday and the word on the street - well in the BBC Weather Centre anyway - is that it's due to be warmer today.

Get in touch with us at any time using the Get Involved button at the top of the page.

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

Well that is it from all of us here on the Local Live team.

We've been here all day bringing you all your news, sport, travel and weather and will return at 08:00 on Thursday morning.

We hope the wet weather doesn't get you too down, but the good news is the weather is set to improve tomorrow, with some.. wait for it.. warmer spells expected.

Right better get my factor 30 out!

A lavender farm experiences huge growth in visitors from Asia after featuring on a Chinese tourism website.

The teenager has "life-changing" injuries and was taken to Broomfield Hospital, Essex, by air ambulance.

Luton Town defender Frankie Musonda signs a new contract to run until the end of the 2018-19 season.

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

On this wet and horrible day, a rather funny sign has been spotted on the back of a bus by photographer John O'Reilly.

Image source, South Beds News Agency

It's an advert from Hertfordshire-based Affinity Water, reminding people to use water resourcefully after a recent dry spell.

Image source, South Beds News Agency

Tony Fisher
BBC Three Counties Radio

A man in his 20s is in a critical condition after falling ten feet when a wall collapsed in Bricket Wood.

He was airlifted to Addenbrooke's hospital from the scene of the accident in Field View Rise.

The Health and Safety Executive has been informed.

Watford's Kyle Langford, who was just inches away from a medal at the World Athletics Championships after finishing 4th in the 800m final ,has thanked this fans for all their support.

Him not winning might have saved his dad Donald a few pennies, as he promised free chips from his fish and chip shop in the town if his son won a medal.

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

A possible habitable planet may have been discovered, with a little bit of help from a team of astronomers, led by the University of Hertfordshire.

They've found four Earth-sized planets orbiting Tau Ceti, the nearest Sun-like star, and two could support liquid surface water.

They're 12 light years away from the Sun.

Dr Fabo Feng, from the University said: "We’re getting tantalisingly close to observing the correct limits required for detecting Earth-like planets. Our detection of such weak wobbles is a milestone in the search for Earth analogs and the understanding of the Earth’s habitability through comparison with these."

Image source, University of Hertfordshire

Sun-like stars are thought to be the best targets for searching for habitable Earth-sized planets, due to their similarity to the Sun. Tau Ceti is very similar to the Sun in its size and brightness, and they both host multi-planet systems.

Gatwick Airport passengers experienced the most delays with about one in three flights affected.

Anglian Water have warned that because of the yellow weather warnings, external issued by the Met Office for rain for widespread parts of the region "they have extra teams out on the ground to check the network is working as it should".

BBC Weather Watchers

Despite the grey skies, our BBC Weather Watchers have been out and about getting snappy.

Here are just a few of the lovely photos we've been sent today...