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Live Reporting

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  1. Our live coverage across the day

    Alex Pope

    BBC Local Live

    That's it from all the team here at the local live page for Beds, Herts and Bucks. We'll be back on Monday from 08:00 with all your news, sport, travel and weather. 

    We'll leave you with a timelapse video of how giant 100 tonne beams were lifted into place over the M1 in Bedfordshire.

    It's been released by Highways England and was taken between March and April. The authority is currently building junction 11a, which will link the A5 to the M1.

    View more on youtube
  2. Hertfordshire's Shuttleworth set to make a splash

    Geoff Doyle

    BBC Three Counties Radio sport

    Hertfordshire swimmer Tim Shuttleworth is in tonight's 800 metres freestyle final at the European Championships in London.

    Tim Shuttleworth

    The former Hatfield swimmer, now based at Loughborough, won his heat yesterday and qualified 4th fastest overall.

    Shuttleworth will be competing at this year’s Rio Olympics. The race starts at 18:00.

  3. Whitlock to miss European Championships with viral illness

    Geoff Doyle

    BBC Three Counties Radio sport

    Hemel Hempstead's world champion Max Whitlock has been withdrawn from Great Britain's artistic gymnastics European Championships squad because of a virus.

    After being ill over the past week, he has been replaced by Courtney Tulloch.

    Max Whitlock

    Whitlock, 23, became the first British man to win World Championship gold, on the pommel horse, in 2015.

    View more on twitter
  4. Brothel raided in Borehamwood

    Alex Pope

    BBC Local Live

    A maisonette in Shenley Road, Borehamwood has been raided by police with four people arrested on suspicion of managing a brothel.

    Officers forced their way into the property yesterday afternoon.

    Police raiding brothel

    A 22 year old man, a 21 and a 19 year old woman, all from Harrow, along with a 19-year-old woman from Borehamwood have all been arrested on suspicion of managing a brothel. 

    They're currently in police custody.

  5. Bedford taxi driver jailed: Naseer Taj was 'active supporter of Daesh'

    Jane Killick

    BBC Three Counties Radio

    Det Insp Ryan Brammer, from the Eastern Counter Terrorism Intelligence Unit, has been speaking about the sentencing of Naseer Taj to eight years and three months for terror offences.

    He said: "Naseer Mirza Taj was a very active supporter of Daesh, who had clear plans to travel to Syria to join so-called Islamic State."

    Travel box

    “The sad reality is that his intentions meant he has now missed out on the birth of his child and will not be there to see them growing up.

    "Those who choose to plan, carry out, or encourage others to carry out, acts of terrorism have no place in our communities and we will work hard to identify, arrest and bring to justice those who do."

  6. Bedford taxi driver jailed: Twitter account discovered

    Jane Killick

    BBC Three Counties Radio

    Detectives from the Eastern Counter Terrorism Intelligence Unit linked Naseer Taj to a Twitteraccount in the name of Abu Bakr Al Kashmiri, which had the background profile picture of ‘Jihadi John’ and a main profile picture of Ilyas Kasmiri – reportedly the leader of Al Qaeda in Kashmir.

    Officers recovered communication between Taj and another man talking about what clothes and materials to pack for Syria, advice given by Taj to other people wanting to travel and conversations between Taj and his would-be Jihadi bride.

    Twitter picture

    Detectives believe Taj wanted to travel to Syria, marry a jihadi bride and attend an IS training camp.

  7. Bedford taxi driver jailed: 'Selfie' taken on Eurostar found on phone

    Jane Killick

    BBC Three Counties Radio

    Naseer Taj plotted to join ISIS by travelling to Syria via Istanbul in Turkey on 31 December 2014, but was arrested two days before he was set to leave.

    He was arrested again by Bedfordshire Police in May 2015 after he tried to obtain fraudulent travel documents in an attempt to flee the country after his passport had been seized following his initial arrest.

    Train selfie

    A 'selfie' Taj had taken on his phone while on the Eurostar on a previous trip was also recovered.

  8. Bedford taxi driver jailed: Judge says jury weren't 'fooled' by him

    Jane Killick

    BBC Three Counties Radio

    Handing down the sentence at the Old Bailey, Judge Stephen Kramer told Naseer Taj the jury had not been "fooled" into believing his story.

    The Bedford taxi driver had claimed he had simply been boasting to friends about going to Syria, as well as claiming he had decided at the last minute that living in the caliphate was not for him. 

    When the police raided his home on 29 December 2014 they found he'd booked a Eurostar ticket to Brussels and a flight on to Turkey.

    Grooming kit

    They also seized travel documents and kit for his trip, including factor 50 sun cream, cash, a mosquito net and combat clothes.

  9. Bedford taxi driver jailed: Planned to leave pregnant wife to go to Syria

    Jane Killick

    BBC Three Counties Radio

    Taxi driver Naseer Taj, from Bedford, planned to abandon his heavily pregnant wife and young son to marry a jihadi bride in Syria - but was caught just a few days before he intended to leave.

    Police raided his house at Victoria Road, Bedford where they found a ticket to Turkey, a rucksack full of equipment, and military style clothing. He also had a huge amount of extremist material, including a magazine published by Al Qaeda, and had been in contact with several known radicals.

    Following a trial in February, he was found guilty of preparation of terrorists acts and having copies of the al Qaida magazine, Inspire.

  10. Bedford taxi driver jailed for terror offences

    Jane Killick

    BBC Three Counties Radio

    Naseer Taj, from Bedford, has today been sentenced to a total of eight years and three months in prison after being found guilty of terror offences.

    Naseer Taj

    The judge at the Old Bailey jailed him for:

    • Five and a half years for preparation of terrorist acts by making preparations to travel to Syria
    • Two years for two counts of possessing information useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism
    • Nine months for possession of a false driving licence
  11. BreakingBedford taxi driver jailed for over eight years

    Bedford Taxi driver Naseer Taj - who planned to leave his heavily pregnant wife and young son in Britain to start a new life in Syria with a jihadi bride - has been jailed for eight years and three months at the Old Bailey after being found guilty of terror offences.

  12. Cortney Batchelor sentencing: Batchelor 'deeply sorry'

    Kate Bradbrook

    BBC Look East

    A man who killed a fellow clubber with a single punch has apologised for his actions.

    Cortney Batchelor was today jailed at Luton Crown Court for four years for the manslaughter of Tomas Juska.

    Robert English, defending Batchelor, had told the court: "This is a very tragic case indeed for all concerned. But for what happened on that fateful evening Tomas Juska would be with us and Cortney Batchelor would not be facing a prison sentence.

    "This was out of character, and the consequences were not intended and not expected. He is deeply sorry and will be for the rest of his life."

    He revealed Batchelor's girlfriend had stood by him and is now expecting his child.

    Luton Crown Court
  13. Cortney Batchelor sentencing: What happened that night?

    Tomas Juska died the day after he was punched by Cortney Batchelor outside a Dunstable nightclub on 23 August 2015.An argument happened after an earlier dispute in Club Cookies in the town.

    Cookie's nightclub

    During the trial at Luton Crown Court the jury heard how Batchelor approached Mr Juska outside of the club and punched him in the head, causing him to fall backwards and hit his head on the pavement, making a noise witnesses described as ‘sickening’. Mr Juska was given CPR by police officers, but died in hospital the next day.

  14. Cortney Batchelor sentencing: Brother wishes he went out with tragic sibling

    Kate Bradbrook

    BBC Look East

    In an impact statement, the brother of Tomas Juska has explained how much he misses him and the effect that night has had on his whole family. 

    Vaidas Juska said: "I sometimes think about whether I should have gone out with him that night and that if I did then this wouldn't have happened and Tomas would still have been with us. But I know this is a silly thing to think as this could have happened at any time."

    "I miss him coming round for a beer or playing sport together."

  15. Cortney Batchelor sentencing: 'What happened wasn't fair"

    Kate Bradbrook

    BBC Look East

     "I don't think my life will ever go back to being normal."

    The words of Vaidas Juska, whose brother Tomas was killed by a single punch from Cortney Batchelor on a night out in Dunstable last summer.

    In a victim impact statement read out at Luton Crown Court, he said: "I feel a mix of upset and anger. I do not blame the person who punched him... but what happened wasn't fair.

    "It hurts. I don't think myself or my family will ever get over what happened."

    Tomas Juska
  16. Cortney Batchelor sentencing: Police pleased 'justice has been done'

    It only takes a second and one punch to change lives.

    That is the message from Det Insp Fraser Wylie, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, after Cortney Batchelor - who killed fellow clubber Tomas Juska with a single punch - was sentenced to four years in jail.

    Det Insp Fraser Wylie

    “Batchelor attempted to hide behind the claim of self-defence which has not stood up to examination through this trial, so I am glad that he was found guilty and will face time behind bars.

    “I hope this will act as a lesson to other young people - it only takes one second and one punch to change the lives of so many people for the worse.”  

  17. Cortney Batchelor sentencing: Judge says victim was 'no threat'

    Kate Bradbrook

    BBC Look East

    Judge Richard Foster has today sentenced Cortney Batchelor to four years in prison for the manslaughter of Tomas Juska.

    He told Luton Crown Court Batchelor knew Mr Juska didn't pose a threat "and yet you punched him with such force, that some witnesses describe how he must have lost consciousness even before hitting the ground".

    Cortney Batchelor

    The judge said: "His head then hit the ground with a sickening thud resulting in the catastrophic injuries which caused his death.

    "Despite that sickening thud... you and your group ran off laughing."

  18. Breaking'One punch killer' jailed for four years

    Cortney Batchelor, 22, a civil engineer from Luton, has today been sentenced to four years for the manslaughter of Tomas Juska.

    Batchelor killed Mr Juska with a single punch on a night out in Dunstable last summer.

  19. Walk planned to raise awareness of missing Royston author Helen Bailey

    Carol Abercrombie

    BBC Three Counties Radio

    Friends of missing Royston author Helen Bailey will be holding a meeting and walk at 11:00 on Royston Heath on Sunday.

    It's almost six weeks since the 51-year-old was last seen leaving her home with Boris, her pet sausage dog.

    Helen Bailey on BBC TV in December 2015

    One of them, Jay Nolan-Latchford, said it's important the author's disappearance is kept in the news.

  20. Business plan launched to make Bedford to MK waterway park a reality

    It's an ambitious project that's been in the planning stages for years and years.

    Now, a charity set on creating a waterway park between Bedford and Milton Keynes have put forward a three year business plan to push the idea forward.

    Bedford to Milton Keynes Waterway Park leaflet

    The Bedford to Milton Keynes Waterway Park Trust hopes to build a series of waterway parks from the Grand Union Canal at Milton Keynes to the River Great Ouse in Bedford along a 24 mile stretch.