If plans are approved, A&E units, maternity and paediatric services will be retained at both sites.

That's it for another day of live news updates - thanks for your company.

We'll be back to do it all again from 08:00 tomorrow.

Don't forget you can still keep in touch - just click on the "Get Involved" button at the top of the page.

Have a lovely evening and see you again tomorrow.

BBC Weather

There will be more sunshine and showers and a breezy end to the day.

Winds will continue to ease later with clear spells developing. Cloud later with showery rain moving in from the north.

Lows of 6-9C (43-48F).

Tomorrow there will be showery rain first thing, which could be heavy on the east coast for a time.

Sunny spells and showers later, some being heavy, and it will be breezy and cool.

Highs of 14-17C (57-63F).

For more, head to BBC Weather.

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

A dog has died and two teenagers have been rescued after a blaze broke out at a house in Borehamwood.

A 16-year-old girl and an 18-year-old man were brought out safely from the property in Edult Road, at about 08:15 on Tuesday.

Insp Pete Edwards from Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue said: "The teenagers were woken up by the fire crews trying to get into the house which was well alight, and without the assistance of the emergency services may not have survived.

"I'd like to remind residents to always make sure they have a working smoke alarm. It could literally save your life."

Image source, Google

BBC Business News

Luton-based budget airline EasyJet is to let customers use its website to book long-haul flights with other carriers.

It says it is the first global airline connections service by a European low fares carrier.

EasyJet is teaming up with Norwegian and WestJet to offer flights to North and South America, as well as Singapore from Gatwick.

However, passengers will still need to transfer baggage between connecting flights.

Image source, Getty Images

About 200,000 passengers a year connect from one EasyJet flight to another at Gatwick, but they have previously needed to book each flight separately.

The Worldwide scheme will see the airport's Gatwick Connects service, which has been running since 2015, integrated into EasyJet's website.

Orla Moore
BBC Local Live

The hunt is on for a prisoner who's absconded from Spring Hill open prison near Aylesbury.

Thames Valley Police is asking the public not to approach Michael Presley, 24, after he disappeared at about 21:00 last night.

Presley was serving a sentence for grievous bodily harm.

Detectives believe he has links to Didcot in Oxfordshire.

HMP Springhill, in the village of Grendon Underwood, is a category D open prison.

Image source, TVP

Nic Rigby
BBC News

Max Whitlock is planning an explosive return to action at the World Championships in Montreal next month with a pair of new routines he vows will leave his Olympic heroics in the shade.

Image source, PA

The 24-year-old, originally from Hemel Hempstead and who lives in Basildon where he trains, has taken time out from major competition since his historic success in Rio. There he won gold medals in the pommel and floor.

But besides a brief break to get married, Whitlock has spent months shut away in his South Essex club working on upgrading those winning performances in order to keep his rivals at bay.

Whitlock said: "I didn't just want to come back with the same routines I had in Rio - the challenge was to come back with something bigger and better.

"I have been focusing entirely on the floor and the pommel because I felt those were the pieces I could improve on and I will be going into the Worlds with big, big upgrades.

"For example, I have five tumbles in my floor routine and I have upgraded four of them to include either another somersault or another twist.

"It is a big difference and a huge challenge. Both of my new routines are very tough, but I'm excited because it's my first big event since Rio and I'm bringing new stuff to the world stage."

A teenage boy has been left with serious injuries after being stabbed in Luton.

It happened on Brantwood Road on Monday, between 22:30 and 23:00.

Police say an altercation between two groups of youths started close by in Dallow Road and went into Ashburnham Road.

The injured boy is in a stable condition, police say.

Image source, Google

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

So... you've managed to catch your escaped pet emu and need to get it home. What do you do?

You put it in the front seat of the car, pop a seat belt on and drive it home, of course!

Image source, Getty Images

I have to say... we're all rather devastated in the newsroom that a photograph was unfortunately not captured of this very real and momentous event.

But the good news is Victoria, who was recently seen in Gamlingay Wood, was recaptured safe and well after being found about five miles from home, according to the local Wildlife Trust.

The sad news, they tell us, is that she escaped through a loose panel after pining for her mate, Albert, who had passed away.

RIP Albert.

Jurors are told a 15-year-old boy sustained life-changing injuries near a rail track.

BBC Radio 2

A previously unreleased recording of Roald Dahl has been broadcast on the Chris Evans Breakfast show.

The interview between the Buckinghamshire author and his great niece Emma Pearl was released to mark his birthday - he'd have been 101 today.

You can listen to it by visiting this link.

Image source, Getty Images

Tony Fisher
BBC Three Counties Radio

Greyfriars Police station in Bedford is set to become a residential development.

The police and crime commissioner for Bedfordshire, Kathryn Holloway, says she received a total of 16 sealed bids which were opened earlier this month.

She would not reveal the price being paid as it was "commercially sensitive", but says she will once the deal is signed.

Image source, Rich Tea/Geograph

The building went up for sale at the beginning of July as it was "no longer fit for purpose".

The Bedford Community Policing team, which is based there, will move to a brand new Enquiries Office in Lime Street.

Lee Agnew
BBC Three Counties Radio

Cranfield University has announced more than 100 job losses as a way of "cutting costs".

In a statement the university says it needs to be "fit for the future" and maintain its position as a "world-class postgraduate university".

In total, 113 out of 1,622 staff will go, but it has not announced what posts are affected.

Image source, Google

Cranfield was first founded as a college in 1946 before becoming a university in 1993, specialising in technology and business management.

Its main campus is in Cranfield, but it has a second site the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom in Oxfordshire.

Greater Anglia is buying more than 1,000 units to entirely replace its old fleet.

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

It's just been announced that Bedford Hospital will merge with Luton and Dunstable Hospital.

The trusts' boards say they have "agreed to pursue proposals to merge both hospitals and form a single NHS Foundation Trust".

They say the move will mean key services such as A&E, maternity and paediatrics will remain at Bedford.

A full business case is expected to be submitted in December.

Stephen Conroy, chief executive at Bedford Hospital NHS Trust, says it's an "exciting time" as it will "secure" the hospitals' future.

We'll bring you more on this story later.

Image source, Google

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

It looks like someone will be getting some extra special treats today as Reqs the Fire Dog turns six.

The black labrador helps Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service investigate fires.

So happy birthday Reqs we hope you are spoilt rotten today.

Luton boss Nathan Jones hails the influence of midfielder Alan McCormack after their home win over Port Vale.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

The rail union believes it has the support of the public to secure the role of guards on trains.

Ninety percent of Greater Anglia workers who are members of the RMT union have voted to go on strike over the dispute.

There are fears strikes could plunge our trains into chaos, similar to that experienced by commuters using the Southern Rail network.

Steve Smart, from the RMT, said: "The travelling public like to see and have guards/conductors on the trains, which also gives them the opportunity to have disabled passengers and such like being assisted in getting on and off trains, and that I feel sure it's what the travelling public wants to see going forward."

Greater Anglia says it's "disappointed" with the outcome of the ballot and pledged to resolve the dispute before any strikes take place.

Sonia Watson
BBC Essex

Greater Anglia bosses are urging RMT union leaders to hold talks to avoid a strike hitting services.

Image source, Greater Anglia

Members voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action in a row over the role of guards and driver-only trains.

Chelmsford Conservative MP Vicky Ford has told BBC Essex she's been in touch with the county's other MPs to get their reaction and said the situation is worrying - and baffling.

"I'm obviously incredibly concerned... it affects our commuters," she said.

"It's also really strange because they're striking about whether or not their guards have the rights to open and close doors, but actually the guards on our Chelmsford trains they don't do the doors opening and closing anyway."

However, the RMT union says safety concerns have led to members preparing to go on strike.

Greater Anglia says it's disappointed with the ballot result and has no plans to remove guards from trains during its current franchise, which runs until 2025.

Carol Abercrombie
BBC Three Counties Radio

An announcement is due to be made this morning about the future of Bedford Hospital.

The news is expected to reveal that the hospital will merge with Luton and Dunstable Hospital.

It's understood that the accident and emergency unit, maternity and paediatric services will be retained at both sites.

The boards of both Bedfordshire hospitals are currently in talks.