Pete Cooper
BBC News

One of the most famous names in horse racing, Frank Dettori, said he "cannot wait to go racing" ahead of the Guineas Festival in Newmarket.

The jockey, who lives near the Suffolk racecourse, external, said he was "like a kid on Christmas morning". He's due to ride for trainer Aidan O'Brien in Saturday's 2,000 Guineas and Sunday's 1,000 Guineas.

He told BBC Breakfast: "It's over three months since I actually competed.

"We still have to exercise the horses and in Newmarket, we have 3,000 of those."

Image source, Getty Images

Dettori said watching the racing in Newcastle yesterday was "nice" but admitted it was "a bit weird" with no crowds around the track.

The 49-year-old also spoke about having to race with a mask covering his mouth and nose.

He said: "I have been training in the gym with it and I've been riding in the morning to get used to it.

"Obviously is not the same but we have to do everything we can to keep everybody safe.

"This is not going to be forever so for the time being we have to wear it."

Sarah Ward
Local Democracy Reporting Service

The small business minister is appealing for the thousands of businesses that have not claimed Covid-19 emergency grants to contact their local authority.

Paul Scully has made a specific appeal to Northamptonshire firms, with some £20m still sat in the bank accounts of local authorities in the county, when it could be helping firms to survive the economic effect of lockdown.

Altogether £113m has been handed out to small businesses in Northants as part of two major allocations specifically for rateable small businesses and firms in the leisure and hospitality sector.

Mr Scully said: "We want to make sure we get the message out to every business that this is a grant, not a loan and will not have to be paid back."

Northampton Town's footballers returned to training on Monday, as they wait for confirmation that the League Two promotion play-offs will go ahead.

Clubs in League Two, including Northampton, Cambridge, Stevenage and Colchester voted to end their season with nine games to play amid the coronavirus pandemic.

But they hope to retain the play-offs, subject to English Football League ratification on 8 June.

And the shortened season has led the Cobblers' manager Keith Curle to put a new spin on one of the sport's most recited cliches...

• BBC Sport: EFL League Two

Local Democracy Reporting Service

The value of pension fund investments by Suffolk County Council dropped by £327m as a result of coronavirus, latest figures show.

Data for the three months to the end of March 2020 showed the fund’s value was £2,802bn.

Pension fund managers at the authority said it reflected the global market reaction to the pandemic and meant the year-end annual return was down 4.5%.

But chiefs say a "V-shaped" recovery was happening as the world begins to ease lockdown measures.

A local authority has been accused of putting motorists' health at risk by not installing hygiene measures at its country park pay stations.

Corby councillor Julie Brookfield said Northamptonshire County Council was showing a disregard for health by insisting that country park users must pay to park at its sites and touch the payment machines to do so.

The authority does not have a contactless payment system and has not installed sanitation gel stations near to the machines, though signs state the stations are not cleaned between use.

Image source, P L Chadwick / Geograph

The council said it recommended visitors bring their own hand sanitiser as it waits for gel stations to "become available".

It closed its country parks to cars at the start of lockdown, on 23 March, but reopened them on 20 May.

Jessica Frank-Keyes
Local Democracy reporter

A council has warned it could face a financial loss of more than £5m due to the cost of responding to the Covid-19 crisis.

Image source, Getty Images

An in-house report for Breckland Council in Norfolk warns the local authority increased costs and lost revenue could amount to £2.8m over six months and £5.5m over nine months.

Philip Cowen, executive member for finance and growth, said: "All councils in the country are facing an unprecedented call on resources."

The council has received almost £1.5m in emergency coronavirus funding from central government.

Alison Chubbock, chief accountant, said in the report to the council’s cabinet, external on Monday, that "the council is facing considerable challenges".

She said: "This funding is unlikely to cover our losses to the end of June and certainly will not cover losses from July unless additional funding is provided."

A headteacher says children were not as "bubbly and lively" as they were before lockdown.

A young pupil gets ready for school after 10 weeks off due to lockdown.

Nic Rigby
BBC News

A zoo has said news that it will not be allowed to reopen during this phase of the government's easing up of the Covid-19 lockdown was "very unwelcome".

Linton Zoo, external near Cambridge said on its Facebook page it looked like it would "be at least another month before we can open our gates and welcome visitors back into the zoo. This was not the news we were hoping to hear".

Image source, Linton Zoo

The spokesman said that despite support from the community the lack of visitors meant that at a time when it should be "starting to save up for the quiet winter season" it was now thinking of how it was "going to make it through to this time next year".

Image source, Sandy B/Geograph

The zoo thanked everyone who had supported the zoo.

"The generosity of all of our visitors and friends of the zoo has, without a doubt, helped us continue to provide the first class care that all of our animals receive," said the spokesman.

Last month the zoo asked people to donate items for its animals during the lockdown.

They set up an Amazon wish list which includes things like sawdust, nest boxes and snacks for the parrots.

Despite lockdown easing, many are still unable to take enjoy sport and the lifeline it provides.

The latest number of new daily coronavirus deaths, external has been released by the government.

In the East of England, they show an increase of 18 deaths in hospitals, taking the total number to 3,677. The new deaths have been recorded at the following NHS trusts:

• Basildon and Thurrock: 2
• Buckinghshire Healthcare (Stoke Mandeville): 2

• East Suffolk and North Essex (Ipswich and Colchester hospitals): 1
• Essex Partnership (Wickford): 1
• Kettering: 3
• Mid Essex (Broomfield): 2
• Norfolk Community Care: 1

• North West Anglia (Peterborough and Hinchingbrooke hospitals): 2
• Northampton General: 4

The total number of UK deaths associated with Covid-19 has reached 39,045.

We will be bringing you all the latest coronavirus news from across the East of England - from the latest statistics to how key workers and our communities are coping.

If you have a story you wish to share - good or bad - please contact BBC News Online (East).

Reach us via Facebook, external, Instagram, external and Twitter, external or email us.