Julie Reinger
BBC Look East weather

A dry night across the BBC East region with the cloud thinning and breaking at times with a lowest temperature of 6C (43F) and a gentle west to south-westerly wind.    

It’ll remain dry tomorrow with spells of sunshine and highs of 16C (61F) and a light-to-moderate west to south-westerly wind.

For more detail on where you are, visit BBC Weather .

Hertfordshire Police are appealing for help in tracing a man after two bookmakers were held up by a robber with a knife who threatened staff and got away with £3,500.

Image source, Hertfordshire Police

Coral in Southfields in Letchworth was raided on Friday, 18 February, with Paddy Power in Town Square, Stevenage held up the following night.

Officers have identified Ken Kwezi as a person they want to talk to in connection with the crimes.

Mr Kwezi's last known address was Kempston near Bedford, but he is believed to have links to Stevenage, Peterborough and Rushden in Northamptonshire.

Sean Coughlan
BBC News, education correspondent

Local education authorities in Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Central Bedfordshire and, Cambridgeshire are part of the F40 group, external , which has campaigned for years against what it sees as unfairly low levels of funding compared with other parts of England.

But today's letter, signed by 38 of the 40 members*, says: "We are extremely concerned that the government is in danger of replacing one injustice with another."

The councils question whether the funding formula should allocate so much towards additional needs, such as for schools with high levels of deprivation or pupils with English as a second language.

And they say all schools need a guaranteed basic level of funding to cover essential costs such as staffing.

Image source, Getty Images

The National Audit Office says schools face cuts of £3bn, and heads have warned of having to cut subjects, increase class sizes and reduce staff.

The Department for Education, external says a consultation is still taking place on how the funding formula is calculated - which will end next week.

"We have protected the core schools budget in real terms since 2010, with school funding at its highest level on record at more than £40bn in 2016-17 - and that is set to rise, as pupil numbers rise over the next two years, to £42bn by 2019-20."

*Bedford Borough Council is also a member of the F40 group, but it is not a signatory to the letter.

Sean Coughlan
BBC News, education correspondent

More than a dozen Conservative councils have written to Prime Minister Theresa May to warn of their "alarm" at inadequate school funding in England.

They are part of a cross-party group of councils which claim they have relatively low levels of funding.

They had hoped to benefit from changes to the funding formula, but now say the funding gap will remain unresolved.

Image source, Getty Images

The Department for Education, external (DfE), which is carrying out a consultation on the changes, says schools are already receiving record levels of funding.

But the joint letter - from representatives of county and unitary councils including Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Central Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire - says: "We are struggling to understand where more cuts can be made in the lowest funded authorities."

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

Police have recovered a body from the River Nene at Nunn Mills Road in Northampton town centre.

Emergency services attended after a call from a member of the public at about 15:00.

They are currently at the scene and the area has been cordoned off.

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

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

Today saw the official launch of the Northamptonshire stage of the cycling's Women's Tour, external of Britain.

It'll be the fourth staging of the tour, with the county hosting a stage each time.

This year the opening stage on Wednesday, 7 June, will start in Daventry and finish in Kettering, external .

Last year's Women's Tour saw Lizzie Armitstead crowned champion in Kettering .

Image source, DDC

Among the riders expected to compete is Towcester's Alice Barnes (pictured on far right with bike) who said that racing in her home county was "pretty special".

Previous winners of the tour include 2012 Olympic champion Marianne Vos and British World and Commonwealth champion Lizzie Deignan.

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

Elsewhere in Northamptonshire:

• During a three-hour anonymous knife amnesty more than 70 blades, including a samurai sword and two machetes, were taken off the streets by the police,  reports the Northampton Chronicle and Echo, external
• While, the  Northamptonshire Telegraph says, external cats were abandoned and dumped in a cardboard box outside an animal rescue charity in Little Irchester

BBC Weather

Skies will turn a little cloudier this afternoon, but it will stay dry. There will be some brighter interludes though and it will feel mild with a high of 13C (55F).

There are more details on the BBC Weather website .

Martin Borley
BBC Radio Northampton

The deputy mayor of Kettering has resigned from the council. 

Derek Zanger is the Conservative member for Burton Latimer ward.  He was due to become Mayor in May. The council says he has resigned due to ill health.

A decision as to who will be next year's Mayor will be taken at a meeting of the council on the 26 April.

Caroline Densley
BBC Radio Northampton sport

Cobblers manager Justin Edinburgh says he doesn't think that 18-year-old Northampton Town forward Joe Iaciofano will be returning from Corby Town just yet.

He is currently at the Northern Premier League side on a work experience basis, external , meaning he is available to play for both sides.

Image source, Getty Images

Iaciofano scored two and set up one in Corby's 5-1 win over Sutton Coldfield Town, external , which took Corby out of the relegation zone.

Edinburgh said that Corby was the "perfect place between now and the end of the season" and that he was "pleased for him and for Corby", he was performing well.

Caroline Densley
BBC Radio Northampton sport

Northampton Town boss Justin Edinburgh told me Saturday's 1-0 win at AFC Wimbledon was "extremely pleasing".

He said the clean sheet was a huge positive as the defence has been "worked on a lot". 

It's the Cobblers first away win since the 1-0 victory over Oxford on Boxing Day.

Image source, Getty Images

It was secured by a 86th minute penalty, scored by Matt Taylor, despite the fact regular penalty taker and captain Marc Richards was on the pitch.

Richards, missed a last-minute penalty against Walsall last month , which would have given the side a point.

Edinburgh said that it was a "difficult decision" to opt for Taylor to take the spot kick, as Richards "wanted to take it", but it "felt right".

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

Rebecca Miller from Northamptonshire Highways said there is a "misconception" that no work is currently being done on the stretch of the A6 near and over the railway.

She said the project is being carried out in "stages" because the engineers "have to be very aware that there is a rail line that is as yet unaffected and we really don't want to affect it".

Ms Miller said their inspection found "substandard and failing foundations" on this part of the A6.

She also said they are "speaking to the government and the Department for Transport about additional funding" for the repairs, but at the moment it is being funded by Northamptonshire County Council, external .

Andrew Radd
BBC Radio Northampton

Highways engineers are still working with East Midlands Trains as they continue to examine and repair a long stretch of the A6 near Rothwell and Desborough, which has been closed since January when they discovered problems with the foundations.

Part of the carriageway runs near the railway before a bridge carries it over the line.

This work is being carried after work to a bridge over the River Ise (pictured), also on the A6, was completed.

Northamptonshire Highways says this part of the work requires "significant collaboration and coordinated planning".

The total cost of the repair work isn't yet known and the road won't re-open until at least the end of April.

BBC Sport

Victory against Scotland on Saturday  was a world record-equalling 18th in a row for the current England team, who were already on a longer winning streak than Sir Clive Woodward's 2003 world champions - their best was 14.

But how do they compare man-to-man to the greats of 2003? Jeremy Guscott has taken a look.

You can read how Saints' World Cup winners Matt Dawson and Ben Cohen compare with their 2017 counterparts, and how Courtney Lawes measures up against World Cup winner Ben Kay.

Intriguingly the comparison includes England captain Dylan Hartley (pictured), up against former Saints hooker Steve Thompson.

You can read Guscott's assessment on the BBC Sport website .

Image source, PA

Kate Kinsella
BBC Look East weather

A bright start to the day with early cloud in eastern areas soon clearing, and some sunshine quickly developing. 

Turning cloudier from the west during this afternoon, but staying dry and feeling rather warm with light winds.

Highs today of 14C, that's 57F.

Check the latest forecast for where you live with BBC Weather.

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

We are back with live updates for Northamptonshire.

We'll bring you all the news, weather, sport and travel you need for the county until 18:00.

First up will be the full weather forecast.

Matty Taylor converts a late penalty as Northampton Town take three points from their League One trip to AFC Wimbledon.

With the 2017 county season here, keep up to date with the latest signings, departures and rumours ahead of next season.

Some council staff say they are working two to a desk while waiting to move to their new HQ.

The instructor called the prisoner "darling" and he sent her "crude references", a court hears.