Two local authorities in Suffolk say £17m of funding available to support small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic has gone unclaimed.

Babergh and Mid Suffolk councils say that more than £28m has been awarded to eligible organisations in the two districts - with over 2,500 businesses taking grants of either £10,000 or £25,000.

A breakdown of the financial support available can be found the government’s business support finder tool., external

Staff at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn braved the rain to observe this morning's one minute's silence to remember key workers who have lost their lives to coronavirus.

Watch a video featuring scenes from across the region.

Image source, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kings Lynn

NHS staff and other key workers stopped to remember colleagues who have died battling coronavirus.

Steve Shaw
Local Democracy Reporting Service

The mayor of Thurrock is to stay in post for another year after the council announced it would not hold its annual appointment meeting.

Image source, Thurrock Council

Conservative councillor Terry Piccolo's term of office, along with deputy mayor, councillor Sue Shinnick, was due to end in May when their successors would be announced, but due to the coronavirus pandemic this has been pushed back until May 2021.

A statement issued on behalf of all party leaders explained Thurrock Council, external did not have the technology to hold the meeting virtually and holding it in person would go against social distancing guidance.

The announcement comes after south Essex’s other unitary authority in Southend also agreed to extend the mayor's term in office for the first time since World War Two.

Sarah Jenkins
BBC News

A greenskeeper at a floral public gardens has thanked people for observing social distancing.

The Abbey Gardens, external in Bury St Edmunds is on the site of the former abbey - once one of the richest, largest and most powerful Benedictine monasteries in England

Steve has worked in the gardens for 31 years and said they will be staying open for people's "enjoyment" as long as they obey the rules and stay at least two metres apart.

"We will all get through this together," he said.

Nic Rigby
BBC News

A community group based in Brentwood, Essex, is celebrating its success at getting donations to vulnerable residents.

Image source, Brentwood Borough Council

The Brentwood Community Hub brings together a number of voluntary groups with the help of Brentwood Borough Council with donors dropping items off at the Town Hall.

The Hutton Community Food Hub said it was helping 250 families and handing over 300 food parcels a week.

Council leader Chris Hossack said: "The way the community has come together is extraordinary. These guys have established themselves, rallied volunteers and residents, complied with the rules that are in place to sort the donations and deliver them."

The groups also include Christian charity Manna Meals, community groups Brentwood Covid-19 Mutual Aid, which has 2,100 members on Facebook, and Brentwood Residents Action Group (BRAG).

Molly Miller, who runs BRAG with Jazz Cooper, said: "Our primary aim was to provide help to the over-60s self-isolating who were unable to shop."

The resumption of garden waste collections from homes continues...

Green bins are to be collected again from 4 May for residents of the Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire districts.

Collections were suspended in March, to ensure black and blue bins could be prioritised.

At the moment only one collection a month can be guaranteed, a council spokesman said.

Image source, Cambridge City Council

A "catastrophic" drop in passengers passing through Luton Airport leads to fears of a cash shortage.

Sarah Jenkins
BBC News

A local council has said more personal protective equipment (PPE) is needed across Essex.

Brentwood Borough Council tweeted that while many local companies have been donating unused and unwanted stock, "more is needed".

It has appealed for anyone able to provide protective equipment to email PPESupplies@essex.gov.uk, external

This talented dog has joined the rest of the country in clapping to show his appreciation for NHS and care workers, animal shelter staff have said.

Jack Russell Smudge, six, lives at the RSPCA Eau Brink centre near King's Lynn in Norfolk, as his previous owners could no longer look after him.

Penny Skate, chairman of the Norfolk West branch trustees, said: "Every time he’s asked to clap for the carers it really looks like he is putting his heart and soul into it.

"It’s a lovely sight to see Smudge so happy and enjoying himself. We really want to share his video with the country and hopefully Smudge clapping can help to put a smile on people’s faces during these uncertain times."

The bags dissolve on a 60C wash, says manufacturer Aquapak which has donated 46,000 so far.

Two rainbows to thank key workers have been painted on the road outside an Essex hospital.

Thurrock Council wanted to show its appreciation to the NHS, so had "Thank You NHS" painted outside Thurrock Community Hospital on Long Lane in Grays.

The work was carried out for free by Henderson & Taylor, it said.

Image source, Thurrock Council

The Range is described as "the worst of British" business despite adhering to government guidelines.

The CPS says a former Police and Crime Commissioner will not be prosecuted over Twitter messages.

Bin crews in West Suffolk received 200 Easter eggs as thanks for their continuing work during the coronavirus pandemic.

They were among a range of key workers who shared 500 eggs donated through NHS Supply Chain, external based in Bury St Edmunds.

Image source, West Suffolk Council

Child minder Tara Chandler said: "It is the key workers who are allowing life to go on, and we wanted to recognise that.

"A friend of mine who works for the NHS Supply Chain asked if I could help to distribute some extra Easter eggs that had been kindly donated.

"I got in touch with West Suffolk Council, external and the local NHS doctors’ surgeries and pharmacies and the wider Bury St Edmunds community and delivered the eggs over three days."

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Building waste dumped in a ditch has blocked a stream and leaked foam, leading to calls for council tips to be re-opened.

Leona Bursnell, who found the waste in Felthorpe in Norfolk, said: "It must be polluting the water."

She said the local council, Broadland, had been informed but a spokesman said because it was on private land neither it nor the Broads Authority, external could remove it.

Image source, PA Media

Dave Thomas, councillor for Horsford and Felthorpe, external, said: "I imagine there’s probably more fly-tipping than being reported. There’s more happening out there, in my view."

Reports of a lorry load of waste being illegally fly-tipped in Thetford woodlands has prompted calls for councils to reopen refuse centres closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

But Breckland Council, external said the waste would not have been accepted at a tip.

Several district councils are experiencing significant falls in fly-tipping:

• Broadland down 27%
• North Norfolk down 33%
• South Norfolk down 45%
• Breckland down 50%
• West Norfolk fall of between 14-22% since January

Norwich City and Great Yarmouth councils did not respond with their data, and both saw an increase, according to Norfolk County Council.

Cemeteries in north east Essex are being re-opened for visitors after being closed by the council following government guidance on social distancing.

Visitors to graves are still being reminded of the importance of handwashing especially after touching communal surfaces such as entrance gates, a Tendring District Council, external spokesman said.

Image source, JThomas/Geograph

The crematorium at Weeley remains closed except for mourners attending services and guests are limited to immediate family only.

Parks around the district have remained open throughout the lockdown, but play areas within them remain off-limits.

Council car parks remain closed, with the exception of Clacton High Street which can be used by shoppers buying essential goods.

Council leader Neil Stock said: "We understand that being able to visit a loved one’s grave or memorial is very important to people, and it had been a difficult decision to close our cemeteries as we balanced this need and the public health challenge we are currently facing."

The plans for an indoor snow facility have been in the pipeline for 16 years.

Image source, Colchester Borough Council

Local authority staff in Essex have been redeployed to work on helplines, undertake community patrols and delivering vital supplies.

Nearly 50 Colchester Borough Council, external workers have taken up the temporary roles to support key services during the coronavirus lockdown, the council said.

Liberal Democrat leader of the council, Mark Cory, said: "Our staff, who show exceptional commitment at the best of times, have been stretching themselves even further over the last four weeks, and often beyond their comfort zones, to help keep critical front line services going."

Matt Precey
BBC Look East

On Monday evening the government released, external its latest figures for coronavirus deaths in the UK in the past day.

In the BBC East region, statistics for each NHS hospital trust show a rise of 46 deaths, the lowest increase in 10 days.

The total number of deaths at the region's hospitals is now 1,863.

• Basildon and Thurrock - 9
• Bedford -1
• East and North Hertfordshire - 2
• Colchester and Ipswich - 7
• Hertfordshire Community - 1
• James Paget, Gorleston - 3
• Kettering General - 2
• Luton and Dunstable - 1
• Milton Keynes - 2
• Norfolk and Norwich - 3
• North West Anglia - 1
• Royal Papworth Hospital, Cambridge - 1
• Princess Alexandra, Harlow - 4
• Queen Elizabeth, King's Lynn - 5
• West Hertfordshire Hospitals - 3
• West Suffolk - 1

The total number of COVID-19 associated deaths at all UK hospitals stands at 16,509.