The English Bridge Union wanted the card game to be recognised as a sport for VAT purposes.

A new £50m private residential and retail development in Stevenage will by visited by the town's MP later.

Stephen McPartland (Conservative) is due to attend the "topping out" of Park Place, which will comprise over 200 apartments, at lunchtime.

"I want to see the town become a 21st Century destination," the MP told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"It is going to be transformational. Stevenage is such a vibrant place; from next year we are going to have direct rail links to Gatwick and Brighton; we're only 19 minutes from Kings Cross.

"We have thousands of commuters moving into the town and there's a real buzz."

Park Place will officially open in early 2018.

Image source, Park Place Plaza Stevenage

The Comet

The Comet, external report's that a Letchworth woman has decided to place padlocks on the wing mirrors of her Mini Cooper after thieves reportedly stole them on as many as six occasions.

A petition is calling for a statue of a woman in Bedford.

Several high-profile men including John Bunyan and Trevor Huddlestone are celebrated in the town centre, but no single monument features a woman.

Image source, Rich Tea/Geograph

The petition wants a female statue as part of the anniversary celebrations of women getting the vote in 1918.

"It's not just Bedford, it's the country," said Rachael Rogan, who set up the petition.

"Parliament Square [in London] has 11 statues and not one of a woman.

"[The suffragette] Mellicent Fawcett is going to be added to that group of statues next year as part of the Vote 100 celebrations, so in Bedford we're looking to do that also."

Ware’s fire engine has been named Ernie in honour of former auxiliary firefighter Ernest Coxall, who was stationed there during World War Two.

Mr Coxhall left £10,000 to Ware fire station in his will and, following discussions with executors, the money has been split three ways between the Firefighters Charity,, external a fund to support community protection volunteering and the installation of a public access defibrillator at Ware fire station.

The newly-named fire engine and community access defibrillator were both unveiled at the fire station earlier this month at an event attended by members of Ernie's family.

Image source, Hertfordshire County Council

Chief Fire Officer Darryl Keen said they were "surprised and delighted" by the bequest.

"Auxiliary firefighters like Ernie played a hugely important role during the war and, talking to Ernie's family, it’s clear he loved the job and the difference it made to his community.

"Naming the fire engine after Ernie was the least we could do to thank him for his generosity."

Lucy Martin
BBC Weather

Today is due to be generally cloudy with some of it thick enough for some outbreaks of rain and drizzle across the BBC East region.

It's also going to become cooler as we move towards the weekend, but there's still a maximum temperature of 16C (61F).

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

You know the drill - read no further if you haven't seen last night's episode of The Apprentice - or you just don't care!

Watford sales executive Harrison Jones probably secured his team's win last night - by doing it "his way".

With the candidates required to set up and run a corporate box and sell merchandise at the Women's FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium, Jones saved his team the £700 they could have spent on a magician, by providing his own form of entertainment and singing My Way.

Lord Alan Sugar said: "You tried to do a rendition of Frank Sinatra, but unfortunately you did it your way."

But seeing as his team won by making £231.34 more profit than the others, it could have been a shrewd move.

Supporters' group alleged fans were treated like "animals" during the League Two clash.

Mechanics have found a pair of mice living inside the air filter of a motorhome.

It's owner, 76-year-old Rob Penn from Buckinghamshire, was returning home from a holiday in Shropshire with his cat Silky when he first noticed something was wrong.

He said he pulled into a garage when an engine warning light lit up on his dashboard and said "I thought someone must be pulling my leg".

Image source, Guest Truck and Van

Toby Tropper from Guest Truck and Van in Wolverhampton said it wasn't the first time he'd seen mice in the engines of motorhomes, explaining "they often get parked on grass and under trees in rural areas and mice are attracted to anywhere that’s warm and dry."

A fine evening with clear spells overnight, but cloudy later with some patchy rain in the south of the region by the early hours of tomorrow morning with lows of 7C (45F).

Thursday will start off cloudy with some spots of light rain or drizzle in the morning but becoming drier and brighter later in a light westerly wind. Top temperature 17C (63F).

For the detailed forecast where you live, visit BBC Weather.

Sexual health charity the Terrence Higgins Trust, external has launched a new HIV prevention and support service in Luton.

The town has a higher than average rate of late diagnosis for HIV, with figures suggesting 55% of people newly diagnosed with the condition are diagnosed late.

Delays in diagnosis allow the virus to start to damaging the immune system and it increases the chance those with the condition may pass it on to others.

The service - funded though the public health team at Luton Borough Council - will help address this high late diagnosis rate, by increasing testing and support for people living with HIV, by offering one to one support and group sessions.

Acid attack accused Arthur Collins tells a jury he and his then girlfriend Ferne McCann were "really happy".

The mutilated body of the cat was found by its owner in her garden in Potters Bar.

Protesters fighting plans for a crematorium on land near Aylesbury are preparing to oppose the latest plans submitted by developers.

Work on the Watermead Crematorium site had already started when a High Court judge quashed the planning permission.

"It's just in the wrong place," Sue Severn, chair of the Watermead Parish Council, external told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"Most crematoria are hidden away from sight with lovely rolling hills; it helps give the bereaved some peace as well."

A decision on the new plans could be made by December.

Image source, Getty Images

London's airports will hit full capacity six years sooner than expected, new government figures say.

Without expansion, the five airports will be full by 2034 because of higher demand for flights, according to the Department for Transport (DfT).

It made the estimate as it extended the consultation period for expansion at Heathrow by two months.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said the case for building a third runway at Heathrow was "as strong as ever".

If you haven't seen Tuesday night's semi-final, don't read on.

Pause for dramatic effect...

OK - here we go - Watford's Steven Carter Bailey is through to the final of the Great British Bake Off, external, where he will face Sophie Faldo and Kate Lyon.

In last night's Patisserie Week, he baked 24 choux buns and came third in the Les Miserables Slices technical challenge, but just about got through even after his hot air balloon meringue centre-piece showstopper looked close to collapse.

You know the drill - if you haven't seen last night's semi-final, don't read on.

No we mean it - stop now...

OK - if you've got this far - then news of the latest baker to leave the tent is coming out of the oven.

Last week in the Great British Bake Off, external, Radlett's Stacey Hart earned the title of Star Baker and won a coveted handshake from judge Paul Hollywood.

This week she was out of the competition.

Patisserie Week saw her baking 24 choux buns - 12 choux-mojis and 12 choux-nicorns - come second in the Les Miserables Slices technical challenge and construct a pink flamingo meringue centrepiece.

But it was a close call - Hollywood said her elimination was "the hardest decision that I've been involved with in eight years of Bake Off."

Lucy Martin
BBC Weather

Another mild day is on the way. We'll see some cloud through the morning, some thick enough to produce some rain, but it will brighten up quite quickly with some good spells of sunshine developing.

Maximum temperature 17C (63F).

Guiseley hold on for a point in a battling 0-0 draw with Boreham Wood at Nethermoor in the National League.

Mother-of-two Nicola Cross was stabbed to death at her home by a man police had earlier detained.